What You Already Know Pt 4: Death Knell: Ship Ver
by MaureenT
Summary: When one of Anubis’ supersoldiers attacks the Alpha Site, Sam and Daniel find themselves in a fight for their lives. Will Daniel be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice for the woman he loves? S&D romance. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**What You Already Know Part 4: Death Knell (Ship Version)**

**Author:** MaureenT  
**Rating:** T  
**Categories:** Action/Adventure, Angst, Romance  
**Content Warning:** Mild Profanity, Violence, Adult Themes  
**Spoilers:** Within the Serpent's Grasp, The Serpent's Lair, Show and Tell, Seth, Fair Game, Jolinar's Memories, Small Victories, Upgrades, Divide and Conquer, Tangent, Serpent's Venom, Failsafe, Summit, Meridian, Fallen, Death Knell, Heroes, reveals small piece of information learned in New Order

**Author's Notes:** **This story contains a Daniel/Sam romance.** If that's not to your liking, please read the Gen version of the story instead. This is the fourth story in a 7-part AU series covering many of the events of the latter half of the 7th season and beyond. **It is strongly recommended that you read the previous fanfics in this series first.**

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CHAPTER ONE

Struggling against the bonds that were holding him, the Jaffa, Mel'roc, fought the mind probe that was boring into his brain and stealing information that would be used to betray his people and their allies. But his struggles were in vain, both physically and mentally. For the hundredth time, he wished that he had died with his fellow rebel Jaffa.

"So, the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra _are_ developing a weapon against my soldiers," Anubis murmured, reading the information that was just ripped from the Jaffa's mind. "Where is this weapon and who are the ones creating it?"

Despite Mel'roc's attempts to hide the information in his mind, the Goa'uld soon found it.

"Ah. The secret site of the Tau'ri," he said in triumph. "I will send my soldiers to destroy it and the weapon, as well as those who have created it." He turned the darkness within the cowl of his robe toward the Jaffa. "And, now, you will tell me all you know about this one called Dan'yar."

A cry of denial and rage rose up in Mel'roc. No! He would not betray Dan'yar!

With a strength far beyond that normally possessed by a Jaffa, Mel'roc snapped the restraints holding his hands and feet to the table and ripped off the one around his neck. Before the supersolder there could grab him, he fled from the room and ran desperately toward his destination, knowing that only one hope was left to him, one way that he could prevent the betrayal of the man who might be the greatest hope the Jaffa and their allies had to defeat the Goa'uld.

A lance of pain speared through Mel'roc's shoulder, and he knew that he'd been hit by one of the supersoldier's energy weapons. A moment later, another struck his thigh, and he stumbled, almost falling. But he somehow managed to stay on his feet and keep running.

There! Ahead of him! What he sought was within sight. The Jaffa put on an extra burst of speed, heading straight for it. A third energy bolt hit him, but he barely felt it as, with a feeling of satisfaction and triumph, Mel'roc gave a mighty leap and cast himself into the deep abyss over which Anubis' fortress sat poised.

"Shal'kek nem'ron, Dan'yar!" was his final cry as he fell to his death.

Anubis stared over the railing, enraged by his failure. In addition to anger, he also felt surprise. He had vastly underestimated the determination of the Jaffa not to betray Dan'yar. He suspected that this Jaffa must have had important information about the man, something that Anubis could have used to defeat him. Now, that information was lost. Even if they could retrieve the body, no sarcophagus would be able to repair the amount of damage such a fall would have caused.

_"I die free,"_ the Jaffa had said. Perhaps he had, but not before he gave Anubis the information the Goa'uld needed to destroy the only way the Tau'ri and Tok'ra had to defeat his soldiers.

Satisfaction replacing his anger, Anubis turned from the railing and gave the order to attack the Alpha Site of the Tau'ri.

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Jacob watched as his daughter sat staring into the depths of her coffee cup. She had been in that position for the past minute or so, and Jacob was beginning to wonder if she fell asleep with her eyes open.

"So, Sam, did I tell you that I'm getting married?" he asked conversationally. No response. "Yes, I think you'll really like her. Her symbiote is only two hundred years old, so, technically, she is a younger woman. For that matter, so is the host. I think she's about your age, maybe a bit younger." Still no response. "So, you think you'll have any trouble calling her 'Mom'?"

Finally, Sam blinked and looked up. "What? What about Mom?"

Jacob chuckled and shook his head. "Sam, where were you just then? If you'd stared at that coffee any more intently, you'd have brought it to a boil."

Sam shoved the cup aside. "I'm sorry. I was thinking about something. What were you saying?"

"Oh, I was just talking about the woman I'm going to marry."

Sam's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. "You're getting married?!"

Jacob smiled. "No, but at least that got your mind off whatever it was you were thinking about."

"Dad!" Sam exclaimed in exasperation.

Jacob crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay, Sammie, what's going on? It's pretty easy to see that something is bothering you."

Sam's gaze dropped to the table. "I don't really want to talk about it, Dad."

Jacob leaned forward in his chair, looking at Sam with that caring, fatherly expression that told her he was worried about her. "Sam, I'm your father. If you have a problem, I want to help. I don't like seeing you like this."

A sigh escaped Sam's lips and she looked at her father. "It's Daniel."

"Daniel? Sam, I know that you're worried about him. So am I. But, right now--"

"No, that's not it. I mean, yes, I am very worried about him, but that's not what I was thinking about just then."

"Then what is it?"

Sam looked into his eyes. "He's in love with me, Dad. I found out several days ago."

A faint smile lifted the corners of Jacob's mouth. "Ah, I see."

Sam stared at him, confused and taken aback by his response. "'I see'? That's the extent of your response to finding out that Daniel, my teammate and a man you've known for over five years, is in love with me?"

"Well, I'd also like to say that it's about time."

Sam's mouth promptly dropped open, instantly rendered speechless.

"Sam, I thought a long time ago that Daniel would be a good man for you," her father told her. "So did Selmak. The only reason why I didn't wholeheartedly go for the idea was because he's your teammate. Selmak was of the opinion that didn't matter. He's a good man, Sammie, as good as they come, and he's the only man you've ever really had in your life who is smart enough and stubborn enough to be your equal. In fact, in the stubbornness department, he's got you beat by a mile, which is a good thing since it means that he'll put his foot down when he has to."

"But I'm not. . . . We're not in a relationship, Dad, and . . . and I'm not sure I want us to be."

Jacob searched her face closely. "You're not in love with him?"

"No. I _can't_ be," Sam replied, a note of desperate denial in her voice.

"Why the hell not?" her father asked, exasperated.

"Because . . . because he's _Daniel_. He's my best friend and my teammate. That's all he's been to me all these years. How could I suddenly be in love with him?"

Jacob shook his head, a smile on his face that told her he thought she was being rather dense and silly. "Sam, since when are romance and friendship mutually exclusive? Friends fall in love with each other all the time, and you couldn't find a greater, more fulfilling romantic relationship than with someone who is also a close friend. The closer the friendship, the better the relationship has the potential to be. I'm not saying that all friendships can successfully become more than that, but, when they do, they are a wonderful thing. Your mother and I were friends long before things got romantic. Yes, it's true that we weren't 'just friends' for nearly as long as you and Daniel have been, but things like that do happen. It only takes one little thing, sometimes something seemingly insignificant, to change the way you feel and turn friendship love into romantic love, especially when you're as close to someone as you are to Daniel."

Sam gave her head a shake, then rested it in her hands. "I don't _want_ to be in love with him," she admitted in barely more than a whisper.

Jacob rested his hand on her arm. "Why, Sam?"

She never got the chance to reply. Just then, the door opened, and Lieutenant Glenn came in.

"Sir, Ma'am, we've got a bit of a problem out here," he said.

"What is it?" Jacob asked.

"Well, sir, there's trouble brewing between the Jaffa and the Tok'ra."

"More than usual?"

"Yes, I'd say so, sir."

Sam and Jacob followed Glenn outside and over to where six Jaffa and two Tok'ra were arguing heatedly.

"You Tok'ra are cowards," one of the Jaffa spat. "You hide among the Goa'uld, learn of their plans, then sit and do nothing as others die."

"The Tok'ra have been giving their lives in the fight against the Goa'uld for thousands of years," the Tok'ra named Delman shot back, "at a time when your kind were blindly doing their bidding and treating them like gods."

"Then stand up and fight! While you do nothing, thousands of Jaffa die as they are forced to serve the Goa'uld. Dan'yar would not do such a thing. He would fight to his last breath to destroy the Goa'uld and free the Jaffa."

Hearing the familiar name, Jacob stepped forward. "What's going on here?"

"These Jaffa call us cowards and say we are without honor," the Tok'ra, Remil, replied, clearly angry.

"What brought all of this on?"

"My fellow Jaffa and I were speaking of Dan'yar," explained the most vociferous of the Jaffa, "and this one," he pointed at Remil, "made a remark that insulted not only us but also Dan'yar."

Jacob cocked an eyebrow and turned to the Tok'ra in question. "What exactly did you say?"

"I would prefer not to repeat it."

Jacob's expression hardened. "I'm afraid that I have to insist."

The man's chin lifted. "I will not be interrogated in front of these Jaffa."

"Fine. Then come with me."

Jacob, Sam and the two Tok'ra strode over to a spot where there was no one within earshot.

"All right, now talk," Jacob ordered. When Remil looked at Sam, her father didn't give him a chance to say what was on his mind. "Sam's staying right where she is."

Clearly not happy, Remil began speaking. "The Jaffa were talking about the powers of 'Dan'yar', and how great a warrior he is. I stated that the Jaffa seem to be trading one god for another and that their new 'god' is nothing more than an unblended human who has gained a few mental abilities."

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "A few mental abilities?" she repeated, dumbfounded by the ludicrousness of the understatement.

Jacob sighed and shook his head. "Remil, I've thought this for a while now--Selmak has, too--and, now, we're just going to say it. You're an idiot."

The Tok'ra glared at Jacob. "How dare you speak like that to me."

"You've always had a low opinion of any human who isn't a host. You think that they are weak, hopelessly flawed and should not be allowed to have the kind of power that Earth has gained over the past few years. Tell me. Have you read all the reports on Daniel Jackson?"

"Not all of them. I was on a mission up until a few days ago, then I was sent directly here."

"Well, then let me give you all the facts. Using what you called 'a few mental abilities', Daniel blew an Al'Kesh to bits, drove off a small army of Jaffa with a miniature firestorm, single-handedly defeated and captured Osiris, and stopped the fall of a thirty-two-ton Stargate! So, if I were you, I'd consider showing just a little more respect."

"He is not a god!"

"No, of course he isn't, and Daniel would be the first one to agree with that statement. But he _is_ a very valuable ally who deserves our respect and gratitude for all the ways that he has helped us in the past and will, no doubt, continue to help us in the future." Jacob's expression hardened even further. "In addition, he is a very good friend of mine and my daughter's and an extremely important member of the SGC, who, among other things, saved the life of Supreme High Councillor Per'sus."

"Your judgment is clouded by your relationship with him."

"Actually, it's just the opposite, Remil. Because I do know Daniel personally, I know exactly what kind of man he is, both his strengths and his weaknesses, and I will tell you this. He is as good a man as any Tok'ra Selmak or I have ever known, better than most."

Remil shook his head. "Believe what you want, Jacob, but I tell you this. The Jaffas' belief in their 'Dan'yar' can only lead to disaster." He then walked off.

Jacob turned to the other Tok'ra. "Do you have something you want to add?"

"I do not share Remil's opinion of unblended humans," Delman replied, "but he may be right about this belief that the rebel Jaffa have come to have about Doctor Jackson. It is growing out of control, Jacob, and I fear what might happen if Doctor Jackson is proven to be the very mortal human being that we all know he is. What will happen to the spirit of the Jaffa rebellion if he dies needlessly on one of the missions he goes on with SG-1? Worse, what will happen if he is captured by the Goa'uld and made a host, turned into the very thing that the rebel Jaffa have come to despise? That is something we all need to think about."

As Delman left, Jacob looked at Sam. There was a deep frown on her face and a worried look in her eyes.

"He's right, Dad," she said. "From what you've told us and from what we've seen, the Jaffa have put Daniel up on this incredibly high pedestal. If something happened to shatter their belief in him, it could do some serious damage."

"I'm not sure we have to worry all that much, Sam. For thousands of years, the Jaffa believed in the absolute power of the Goa'uld, yet, within the space of less than seven years, many of them have completely lost all faith in them as gods. Despite that, those Jaffa are stronger than they have ever been."

"It's not the same thing, Dad, and you know it. The Jaffa may have worshiped and served the Goa'uld, but they didn't look up to the Goa'uld in the same way that they do Daniel. He's become a symbol to them, an ideal. What happens when a person you idolize topples off the pedestal you placed him on?"

"You're left feeling very disillusioned," Jacob said, seeing her point.

"Yeah."

Pausing a moment, Sam's father turned and walked in the direction of the Stargate.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I think that Daniel needs to come here. I don't know what he can say to the Jaffa, but maybe he'll think of something."

A couple of hours later, Daniel exited through the Alpha Site Stargate. He smiled upon seeing Sam.

"Hi, Sam," he said. "How are things going with the prototype?"

"Pretty good. I've identified what the problem was and am working on fixing it."

Daniel's smile widened. "I never had any doubt that you could."

Inordinately pleased by the comment, Sam smiled almost shyly.

Daniel turned to her father. "Hey, Jacob."

Jacob looked at the man who was causing his daughter so much emotional confusion and uncertainty. One of these days, the two of them would have to have a talk. But now was not the time for that.

"I'm glad you could come, Daniel," he said. "Hopefully, you can do something about this problem."

"Yeah, well, I don't know how much I can do. Believe me when I say that I'd like nothing better than to get this stuff about me out of the heads of the Jaffa, but I already tried once and just succeeded in making things worse."

"Well, maybe a different tactic would work."

"Maybe. I guess all I can do is try."

Just then, Jacob realized something. "Where are your glasses?"

Daniel lifted his hand to his face where his glasses would normally be perched, an embarrassed look on his feature. "Um, yeah. I, uh, had a bit of an accident just before you contacted us. I was in a hurry to get somewhere, took a corner a bit too fast, and ran right into poor Siler. I managed to stay on my feet, but he didn't, and my glasses went flying. Somebody, uh . . . stepped on them. They were my last pair."

Jacob chuckled, shaking his head. It was amazing how Daniel could be the possessor of such incredible power, yet still be so human and so outwardly unchanged by it--which was one of the reasons why Jacob was glad that it was Daniel who'd been given this power instead of someone else. No matter what, it would never go to his head.

"Well, good luck with the Jaffa," Jacob said. "While you're busy with that, the two of us need to get back to work on that power unit that my genius daughter here so brilliantly figured out was the problem."

Embarrassed by the effusive praise, Sam blushed lightly. "We'll see you later, Daniel."

An amused smile on his face, Daniel nodded. He watched them leave, then, smile fading, turned and headed for a group of Jaffa. He was about twenty feet away when some of them apparently recognized him.

"Dan'yar!" one of them cried.

As Daniel came to a halt before them, every one of the Jaffa crossed an arm over his chest, fist closed, and bowed his head. For a second, Daniel was struck dumb by the gesture and by the expression on their faces. There was no one word that could be used to describe it, fierce reverence being the closest thing that came to mind.

"We are pleased that you have come, Daniel Jackson," said a dark-haired Jaffa with piercing green eyes.

"Um, yeah. Look. We really have to talk."

"Of what do you wish to speak?" another Jaffa asked.

"Well . . . about me, actually." He looked around. "Is there someplace private we can go?"

The green-eyed Jaffa nodded sharply. "Come with us."

Daniel and the group of Jaffa headed across the base. As they did, the group gradually got larger as Jaffa they passed joined them, those who recognized Daniel telling the ones who didn't that he was Dan'yar. By the time they reached their destination, Daniel was in the midst of thirty or so Jaffa.

Trying very hard not to show how tense he was, the archeologist sat on a crate, indicating that the Jaffa should sit as well, which they did, most of them settling on the ground.

"I, uh, don't exactly know how to put this," Daniel said. "I've heard about some things that have been going on with the rebel Jaffa in regards to me. I found out about what happened to Aker, how he was killed by his Jaffa, and. . . . Okay, the truth is that I never wanted any of this."

"We have displeased you, Dan'yar?" asked a Jaffa who looked to be no more than twenty-five, though he was probably a lot older than that.

"No. I mean, it's not that you've displeased me, it's that you shouldn't _care_ if you've displeased me. I'm just me, Daniel Jackson. I'm an archeologist, and a linguist, and a guy who's simply trying the best he can to fight an enemy of the human race. I-I'm not a god or some kind of superior being. I'm just a flawed, very mortal human."

"Did you not destroy an Al'Kesh with the power of your thoughts?" asked the green-eyed Jaffa, whom Daniel had learned was named Ka'ter.

"Well, yes, but--"

"Did you not set fire to the very air and drive away an army of enemy Jaffa to save some of your fellow Tau'ri?"

"Well, I wouldn't have called it an army. . . ."

"Did you not, in the presence of some of our brothers, make fire rise from the earth, rip the staff weapons from the hands of several of them and destroy another staff weapon with heat so great that it melted?"

"Um. . . ."

"What of the Goa'uld Osiris? Did you not defeat her alone in battle and capture the Al'Kesh you were upon?"

"Yes, but--"

"And did you not, with the power of your mind, stop the fall of a Stargate and lift it back up as if it were a feather?"

"Oh, believe me, it was no feather. It was really, really heavy."

"Are you not a friend to all rebel Jaffa? Have you not fought courageously with the Tau'ri against the Goa'uld and other powerful enemies? Have you not refused to bow to the wishes of others, defying even those who are your leaders, to do what you know is right? Have you not given your life many times for the sake of others? Would you not give your life yet again for those you see here even though we are not of your race? Would you not stand by our side and fight till the end with us to free the Jaffa from the tyranny of the Goa'uld?"

Daniel sighed softly. "Yes," he admitted. What else could he say?

"Then you are the man that we believe you to be," Ka'ter said with conviction. "We know that you are human. We know that you are not immortal, that you can be killed. The Goa'uld, too, can be killed, even though they call themselves gods. You have never called yourself a god, which shows us that you are not like them. You use your power to protect life, so we know that you are a good man. You do not hide behind others while in battle, letting them die for you, but, instead, die for the sake of others. This shows us that you are courageous and strong, unlike the Goa'uld, who flee like cowards instead of staying to fight and die with their Jaffa."

"I'm not perfect, Ka'ter. I have faults and weaknesses just like everyone else. There have been many times that I felt fear. Yes, I have done all those things you talked about before. Yes, I do have power, but that power is not unlimited, and it can harm me if I use it too much. I am far, far from being all-powerful. In the end, I'm still just a man."

Ka'ter smiled very faintly. "We do not expect you to be perfect, Daniel Jackson. We do not want perfection. And even the bravest of men have known fear at some time in their lives. We also know that you are not _all_-powerful. Yes, you are a man, but you are a man of greatness, a man of godlike power, one unlike any the Jaffa have ever known, a man who is one of the mightiest weapons against the Goa'uld that has ever come to be. That is who you are. That is who Dan'yar is to us."

Daniel's eyes dropped to the ground, knowing that this was a losing battle. He wasn't getting anywhere like this. He decided that it was time to move on to the next issue.

"But there is a big problem now," he said, looking at the men before him. "The System Lords know about me, or, rather, about Dan'yar, and they are actively trying to find out more."

Ka'ter nodded. "This we know. But rest assured that your true name is never spoken by us, not even between those who know it. And I swear to you that each and every one of us would die before revealing what they know about you to the Goa'uld. No amount of torture would make us betray you."

There were murmurs of agreement among the other Jaffa.

"I know, Ka'ter," Daniel responded in a respectful tone, "and I am deeply honored by what you would do to protect me. But Anubis has a device that can see into a person's mind and extract information from them regardless of how much they fight. If one of the rebel Jaffa who knew all about me was captured by him, Anubis would then know who I am. And, once he knew that, he'd know where to find me: on Earth. He might decide to attack Earth just to get me. On top of that, the other System Lords might find out, and that would make things even worse. It would have been a whole lot better if word of me and what I can do had been kept secret. I told this to the Jaffa who witnessed my demonstration, but the word got out anyway."

Ka'ter's eyes dropped from Daniel's for a moment. "We deeply regret that your life has been placed in jeopardy because of the Jaffa sharing their knowledge of you. This was not our intention. When you became known to us, the knowledge spread like fire among us, growing with each passing day. Once it was started, it could not have been stopped. But tell us. What may we do to help?"

Daniel thought about the question. "The Tok'ra have placed as many spies as they can among the more important System Lords in order to learn if any of them find out my true identity. But they can't watch every Goa'uld, and they can't do it all the time. They need help, _your_ help. There are rebel Jaffa within the armies of just about every System Lord. If they could act as spies, listen and pay attention to what is going on with their masters, they might find out if some Goa'uld has learned who I am."

Ka'ter and several other Jaffa nodded.

"Yes. This is something we can do," the green-eyed Jaffa said. "Our brothers already listen to the plans of their Goa'uld masters and pass on the information to others, but we will spread the word that they are to pay extra attention to all talk of you and to watch closely for signs that a Goa'uld has discovered your identity."

"Thank you."

Ka'ter's expression hardened into one of determination. "And if a Goa'uld does learn of you, and it is within the power of the rebel Jaffa in his ranks to strike against him, that Goa'uld will cease to live before he can tell another."

The image of a Goa'uld being ripped to pieces like what happened to Aker leapt into Daniel's mind, bringing along with it a brief moment of nausea. "Ka'ter, that would mean death to the Jaffa who did it. I don't want any of your people giving their lives for me."

An expression of great respect and gratitude came to the Jaffa's face. He gently clasped a hand about Daniel's shoulder. "And it is because of _that_ that we would all give our lives for you gladly."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Daniel entered the Quonset hut where Sam and Jacob were working. The two of them were hunched over a small object in a clamp on the worktable.

"So, how did it go?" Jacob asked upon seeing him.

Daniel sighed. "You know how we've sometimes had to deal with a Jaffa who, no matter how we reason with them, still keeps insisting that their Goa'uld master is a god?"

"No luck, huh."

"No, not much."

"They wouldn't listen to you at all?" Sam asked.

"Oh, they listened to me, but nothing I said made a bit of difference in what they thought or how they felt about me. But there is _some_ good news. They don't think I'm a god. They all know that I'm human and very mortal. They also know that I'm not perfect or all-powerful."

"That is good news," Jacob agreed.

"Yep, they only think I'm a _demi_god," Daniel added with a tight little smile that was definitely not an indication of pleasure. "In a way, that makes things even harder. If they had thought that I was a god, I could have easily disproved that."

Jacob nodded, understanding. "But how can you disprove the belief that you are like something halfway between a god and a man when they know about the power you have?"

"Exactly."

"I wish I could figure out what to do about that, Daniel, but it may be that we're all just going to have to accept it."

Daniel sat down at the table and leaned back in the chair. "Unfortunately, you're probably right. There is one good thing that came out of my talk with them, though. The Tok'ra are going to have lots of help now in spying on the Goa'uld. The rebel Jaffa are going to keep their ears to the ground and watch for any indication that some Goa'uld has found out who I am."

"That's great, Daniel," Sam said, her concern over his safety easing just a little bit.

"We could sure use the help," Jacob remarked.

"Oh, and something else," Daniel said. "I'm pretty sure that the Jaffa don't know about my ability to see the future or my 'sixth sense'."

"That's good. If they found out that you could see the future, it would elevate you even higher in their eyes. That's a power that the Goa'uld could never claim to have."

"Yeah." A frown creased Daniel's face.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"Um, you remember those times in the past when I got a feeling that something was wrong?"

"Daniel, did you have a premonition?" Jacob questioned sharply.

"Sort of. I woke up with a bad feeling this morning, but I have no idea what it's about. I tried to find out, but I didn't have much success. I'm afraid that I have little control over my ability to see the future. It's pretty hit and miss and usually only kicks in when I'm not expecting it. The thing is, though, that the bad feeling got stronger when I arrived here."

"That doesn't sound good."

"I thought that it might have something to do with the problem with the Jaffa, but it hasn't gone away. Whatever it's about, I'm certain now that it has something to do with either the Alpha Site or someone who's here."

"Perhaps now that you're here, you'll have better luck finding out what the problem is," Sam reasoned.

"That's possible. I guess I could try again."

Daniel placed his hands flat upon the tabletop, then closed his eyes, quieting his mind. Unknown to him and the others, Ka'ter had just stepped into the room, halting upon seeing Daniel's appearance. He watched with curiosity as the man his people had named Dan'yar appeared to slip into a trance-like state not unlike Kel'no'reem.

Unaware of the addition to his audience, Daniel sought to cast his mind into the future, to see what his senses were warning him about so urgently. A jumbled, nebulous mass of images flitted past his mind's eye, confusing and unreadable. But then, all at once, an image snapped into Daniel's mind, cold and hard-edged, like the ships that, even now, were bearing down on them.

With a gasp, Daniel snapped his eyes open, head jerking up to Sam and Jacob. "Anubis!" he shouted. "He's found out where we are and has sent an army to attack the base! They'll be here at any minute!"

Cursing loudly, Jacob darted for the radio that would connect him to Colonel Reilly, the base commander.

"Reilly! It's Jacob Carter. You have to order an evacuation of the Alpha Site immediately. An army of Anubis' soldiers are heading for us and could be here at any second."

"How the hell do you know that, Jacob?" the man asked.

"Never mind how I know. Just give the order!"

"Jacob--"

Seeing that the colonel needed a bit more to go on, the Tok'ra interrupted him with all the authority in his voice that he used when he was a general. "Daniel Jackson's here, and he saw what's going to happen. Now, you already know what he can do, so move!"

"Yes, sir!" the colonel snapped.

At that moment, Daniel saw Ka'ter standing just inside the door. _'Oh, just great,'_ came the fleeting thought.

"Is this true?" the Jaffa asked in a tone of wonder. "You have the power to see what has not yet happened?"

Knowing that now was not the time to get into a discussion about it, Daniel replied, "Yes, it's true, Ka'ter. Anubis' soldiers are on their way here. Go warn your people and help with the evacuation. There's not much time."

"Yes, Dan'yar!" The Jaffa turned and hurried out.

Just then, the base alarm began to sound, followed by the order to evacuate. Daniel glanced outside and saw people rushing around. "Come on," he said to Sam and Jacob. "We need to get to the gate."

"We can't, Daniel, not yet," Sam told him. "I hadn't quite finished the upgrade to the power unit, and, once it's done, we need to upload the weapon design into the matrix crystal so that it can be reproduced. Then we have to wipe the computer memory so that Anubis doesn't get the information."

"Can't you finish the upgrade later? I don't know how much time we have."

"Finishing it will only take another minute or so, and we might need this weapon to fight off Anubis' soldiers."

"Sam, that weapon isn't going to do anyone any good if it never makes it off this base!"

The voice of Colonel Reilly came over the radio, telling them that Goa'uld ships had just been detected entering orbit.

"Crap!" Daniel cursed. His head abruptly jerked upward, eyes looking toward the ceiling. "Some Al'Kesh and a bunch of scout ships are coming. I can't stay here. I need to see what I can do to hold them off long enough for everyone to get through the gate."

"Go!" Jacob told him. "Sam and I will get to the Stargate as quickly as we can. Don't worry about us."

For a brief instant, Daniel met Sam's eyes, his gaze telling her that he loved her, then he dashed outside. The Stargate had been activated, and personnel were quickly escaping through it. Others, however, were arming themselves, preparing for battle. Daniel rushed toward a group of marines and airmen.

"You can't fight them!" he told the men. "None of these weapons will penetrate the armor of Anubis' soldiers. They won't even slow them down." He saw a rocket launcher on the ground. "There are ships on the way. Try taking some of them out with that. It may buy us a little more time, but we still need to get everyone out of here. We can't save this base."

The men all looked at Daniel, hearing the ring of authority and conviction in his voice. Making a sudden decision, the captain in charge turned to his men.

"You heard what he said. Get all the heavy weapons we've got and target those ships when they come in range. Rivers, take four men and scour the camp. Make sure we don't leave anyone behind. Everyone else who doesn't have a rocket launcher in their hands, get to the Stargate and cover the people going through."

Doing as ordered, the men rushed away.

"Dan'yar!"

Daniel turned to see a large group of Jaffa running toward him.

"Anubis' forces are attacking?" one asked.

"Yes. We've got to evacuate everyone as fast as possible. There are attack bombers and scout ships on the way."

"We will stay and fight," another Jaffa said.

Daniel shook his head emphatically. "No, you can't win. You _know_ that. You've seen and heard what his soldiers can do. You need to get out of here, escape to the beta site."

"And what of you?"

"I'm going to help hold off the ships and drones as long as I can to give everyone a chance to evacuate."

"Then we will stand by your side and fight with you," the first Jaffa declared firmly.

A faint sound in the distance made everyone look in that direction. Three small spots in the sky were quickly growing larger.

Daniel turned back to the Jaffa. "Look. I don't have time to argue with you. Just get as many of your people through the Stargate as you can!"

Not waiting to see if they obeyed him, Daniel ran out into the open where he'd have a better view of the Al'Kesh. He knew that he couldn't bring any of them down like he did the ship that attacked SG-1. If he did, he'd be useless to anyone afterwards. But he might be able to manage something else without "blowing a circuit", as he figured Jack would put it.

A loud, familiar noise to his right made Daniel turn to see someone fire off a rocket launcher. The rocket flew toward the closest bomber and struck it dead center. The ship plunged to the ground, crashing just outside the boundary of the base. A few seconds after the first rocket was launched, a second one went streaking toward another Al'Kesh but missed its target when the ship suddenly gained altitude.

At that moment, realization hit Daniel. He didn't have to blow up the _entire_ ship to stop it, just one very important part. Focusing his attention on the cockpit of one of the Al'Kesh, he struck at it powerfully. The entire front section of the ship violently exploded inward, taking some of the controls with it and blowing the pilots out of their seats. The ship veered wildly out of control, almost hitting the other Al'Kesh, then slammed into the ground, blowing up on contact.

The all too familiar pain in Daniel's head told him that he'd used too much power, but he couldn't stop now. The other ship was almost on top of them, too close for him to bring it down. Before he could think of something else to do, it began dropping its bombs, the orange balls of glowing energy blasting twin lines of destruction through the camp.

Out of desperation, Daniel turned his power upon the bombs themselves, detonating them before they could strike their targets. Standing fast as the Al'Kesh headed straight toward him, he was aware of nothing except the ship and the bombs that were seeking to kill the people he was determined to protect. The pain in his head grew steadily worse as he continued destroying the bombs. He felt the heat as one of them detonated directly above him, the concussion from the explosion buffeting his body.

As the ship flew past him, Daniel saw that it was aiming toward the Stargate. All of the personnel who were in the process of evacuating fled as the bomber bore down on them. Knowing that he couldn't chance any kind of explosion near the gate, Daniel did not detonate the bombs that fell toward it. Instead, he stopped them in midair. Stunned, the people all around the gate stared at the four bombs that hung motionless over their heads.

As the Al'Kesh completed its bombing run and lifted higher into the air, Daniel realized what he could do to stop it. He took hold of the four bombs he had captured--and threw them at the ship. They flew straight and true, striking the Al'Kesh simultaneously. A horrendous explosion ripped the ship apart, and it plummeted to the earth.

The sound of cheering broke through Daniel's attention. He turned to see some of those who had been in the path of the bomber letting out shouts of triumph.

The celebration was short lived, however, as a different kind of shout sounded out, one of warning. Daniel spun around and saw eight supersoldiers heading toward them. While everyone was distracted by the bombers, the scout ships had landed.

Knowing that they'd run out of time and had to get through the gate right now, Daniel glanced around for Sam and Jacob. Where were they? Looking toward the Quonset hut that their lab was in, Daniel felt his heart plunge into his stomach when he saw the damage to its left side caused by one of the bombs he had not destroyed. And one of the drones was heading straight toward it.

"Sam!" he screamed, rushing toward the building and praying that the woman he loved was still alive.

--------------------------------------------------

Jacob coughed, his throat clogged with dust and smoke. Rising to his feet, he waved his hand through the air in an attempt to clear it. "Sam!" he called.

"Here, Dad," came a voice behind him. Jacob turned to see his daughter rising shakily to her feet. There was blood on her face. Jacob rushed forward, grasping her arms.

"Sam, are you all right?"

"Yeah, just a little scratched and bruised. I'll be fine." She winced as she gingerly probed at the cut in her scalp. "What happened?"

"I think the place got clipped by one of those bombs. Thankfully, it wasn't a direct hit. Come on. We have to get out of here."

What was left of the doors was suddenly blasted full of holes. Sam and Jacob dove for cover. A supersoldier strode in a moment later. The prototype weapon in his hands, Jacob stood and fired at it. It collapsed to the ground.

"It worked!" he shouted.

The drone abruptly rose back to its feet.

"Not good enough!" Sam responded.

Jacob was just about to fire again when it was as if the supersoldier had been grabbed by an invisible fist. Arms pinned to its sides, it struggled vainly as it was lifted into the air.

Daniel appeared in the doorway, eyes alight with rage, determination and fear. When he saw Sam and Jacob, the fear vanished.

"If you're going to shoot it, Jacob, do it now," he said.

Taking aim, the Tok'ra shot the drone a second time. Daniel released it, and it fell to the floor.

"Come on. Let's get out of here,"Jacob said.

They all dashed toward the Stargate. Another of Anubis' soldiers was there, firing upon those escaping through it. It was under heavy fire from the personnel guarding the gate, but their weapons had no effect.

At that moment, the supersoldier fired its energy weapon directly at the center crystal of the DHD. The crystal exploded with a shower of sparks, and the Stargate instantly winked out.

"Damn!" Jacob cursed. "We're not getting out that way. We'll have to make a run for the hills, hide out until help arrives."

Daniel did not reply. Driven by anger, he mentally struck at the drone that was again firing upon the helpless people gathered around the gate, sending it hurling a hundred feet through the air. More soldiers were approaching, and he hit all three of them with a psychic blast that threw them back thirty yards.

Fighting to remain upright as the pain in his head went up several more notches, Daniel told the people to run. He closed his eyes against the sunlight, nausea and dizziness threatening to bring his breakfast back up.

In the next instant, the pain in his head was overwhelmed by a sudden lance of agony burning through his left shoulder. Crying out, Daniel fell to the ground.

"Daniel!" Sam called out, going to her knees beside him.

Jacob and the two scientists looked up to see the supersoldier Jacob had shot striding toward them, his weapon aimed straight at them.

A warrior cry rang out as seven Jaffa appeared out of nowhere and began firing upon the drone with their staff weapons.

"Run, Dan'yar!" one of them called.

Daniel watched as the Jaffa fired repeatedly upon the supersoldier, knowing that they could not defeat it. Even as he thought that, one of the Jaffa fell to the drone's weapons, followed by another.

"No!" Daniel cried in denial, struggling to his knees. Enraged by what was happening, he mentally attacked the supersoldier, sending it crashing through one of the Quonset huts with such force that the whole front wall collapsed, burying the drone beneath steel beams and corrugated metal siding.

"Go, Dan'yar!" one of the surviving Jaffa shouted. "We will hold off the soldiers of Anubis while you escape."

With Sam and Jacob's help, Daniel managed to get to his feet. "No!" he cried. "You're throwing your lives away! Come with us!"

"We cannot. Our lives are pledged to saving yours." The Jaffa smiled at him. "We die free, Dan'yar."

There was no more time for thought or discussion as the supersoldier Daniel had thrown into the Quonset hut got free of the wreckage and resumed firing, felling a third Jaffa. At the same time, another soldier in the distance opened fire on Daniel, Sam and Jacob.

"Daniel, we've got to get out of here!" the Tok'ra yelled.

Nearly dragging the archeologist with them, Sam and Jacob fled toward the forest. Pushing the pain into some deep place in his mind, Daniel ran alongside Sam and her father, trying not to think of the Jaffa who were sacrificing their lives for him.

The trio was about forty yards from the tree line when energy bolts began zipping past them. Looking over their shoulders, they saw that two of the drones had followed them.

Jacob separated from the others. "Keep going!" he shouted. "Get to the trees!" Then he turned and fired at the supersoldiers with the prototype weapon. They both fell, but one didn't stay down. Realizing that the weapon simply wasn't powerful enough, Jacob spun around and made a mad dash for the forest, seeing Daniel and Sam up ahead a few yards.

The two humans were almost to the tree line when an earth-shattering explosion seemed to rip the very air apart. A violent concussion struck them, tossing them into the air. Daniel's last thoughts as darkness closed over his mind were of Sam.

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Jack and Teal'c came hurrying into the control room, the sound of the klaxons ringing in the air. In the gate room below, several technicians were preparing a MALP to go through the gate.

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"Approximately 30 minutes ago, Colonel Reilly at the Alpha Site ordered a sudden evacuation. Shortly after that, several Goa'uld ships entered orbit around the planet."

"Wait a minute. Reilly ordered the evac _before_ the ships showed up?"

"There is some confusion about what went on since the colonel is presently among the missing, but he apparently received advance warning that ships were on their way."

"Advance warning?" A thought occurred to Jack. "Sir, Daniel was there. Do you think it's possible that he . . . saw something?"

Hammond nodded. "That is a possibility."

"How many people got out?"

"Casualty reports are still coming in from the Beta Site, but at least thirty-five people are still missing."

"What about Daniel, Carter and Jacob?"

"I'm afraid that they are among the people unaccounted for."

Jack exchanged a worried look with Teal'c, then returned his gaze to the general. "I thought the location of the Alpha Site was secret."

"That was the belief. The gate was brought there in a Tok'ra ship, making it a completely new address."

"Yet, evidently, the Goa'uld have somehow discovered its whereabouts," Teal'c stated.

When the MALP was sent through to the Alpha Site, they discovered that the Stargate was apparently lying face down on the ground. It was impossible to tell what kind of damage had been done to the base. Receiving a go from Hammond, Jack and Teal'c went through. What they found was a huge blast crater, which Teal'c guessed was caused by the base's self-destruct, most likely detonated to prevent the base from falling into enemy hands.

Jack looked around at the terrible destruction, his stomach clenching. Anyone caught in that blast would have been killed instantly. They couldn't possibly have survived. The only hope that someone made it through this alive was if they managed to get out of the blast area before the self-destruct went off. And that's what Jack was going to assume happened with Daniel, Sam and Jacob. There was no way in hell that he was going to believe they were dead.

"Do you believe that Daniel Jackson and Major Carter still live?" Teal'c asked, apparently thinking the same thing Jack was.

"Absolutely. They both have a knack for getting out of seemingly impossible situations. We're going to find them, Teal'c."

A short while later, SG-3 arrived.

"So, we'll split up, search for survivors," Jack ordered.

"Who could have survived this?" Reynolds asked.

Giving him a glare that would have melted steel, Jack said, "Start with the treeline there."

"Copy."

"Move out."

Jack and Teal'c headed out as SG-3 went in the opposite direction. As the two members of SG-1 walked past the smoldering remains of the base, both men were hoping that Jack was right and they'd find their missing teammates alive.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Sam rested her weight against Daniel as they made their way through the woods, the pain in her leg like a firebrand. She'd been hit by debris when the self-destruct went off. At least that's what she figured had caused that explosion. It was too big for anything else.

Sam glanced at her companion. Daniel's face was set in grim lines, pain etching the creases even deeper. She knew that he was probably hurting as much as she was. If a wound from one of those energy beams was anything like a staff blast, it must be excruciating. At least he wasn't bleeding as much as she was, the wound having been partially cauterized. She was worried about infection, though. A burn like that could get infected quickly. Unfortunately, they had no first-aid supplies. She could sure use a shot of morphine right about now.

Daniel looked down at Sam, wishing that he could ease the strain on her injured leg. Ever since the explosion that destroyed the base, they had been running for their lives from the supersoldier that was relentlessly pursuing them. A couple of times, it had been necessary for Daniel to psychically strike at the drone to keep it from getting them. But it was only a delaying action. No matter how hard he threw the thing, the virtually indestructible armor it was encased in protected it from serious damage, though Daniel had to wonder how it could avoid getting a concussion even with that helmet on. But then, even if it _did_ get a concussion, the symbiote would just fix it.

More than once, Daniel's sixth sense had warned them when the supersoldier was approaching. Sometimes, it had been the distinctive sound of its footsteps that alerted them first. There had been other times, however, when they were taken by surprise, and that was usually when Daniel had to take action. He knew that his pain and exhaustion were interfering with his ability to sense the thing's presence.

Daniel glanced at Sam again. She didn't know that it was taking all of his will power just to keep moving. She didn't know that the agony in his shoulder that was leaching away his strength wasn't the only thing wrong with him.

Daniel had hoped that the effects of overusing his abilities would have faded by now, but the pain, nausea and sensitivity to light were still with him, vying for his attention with the wound in his shoulder. Daniel figured that his physical injury and the fact that he hadn't had a chance to rest were interfering with his recovery. On top of that, every time he was again forced to use his telekinetic abilities it made things even worse.

A small gasp drew Daniel's attention back to Sam. Seeing the paleness of her face, he stopped and guided her over to a spot where they could sit down. He eased her to the ground and sat beside her.

"Let me take another look at that leg, Sam," he said. Trying to ignore the violent protest his shoulder made at the movement, he carefully removed the piece of cloth that was acting as a partial tourniquet around Sam's leg and examined the wound. It didn't look good, and it was still bleeding quite a bit. "I need to wrap this."

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Daniel struggled out of his jacket. The agony in his shoulder blared though his body, and, for a moment, he thought he was going to throw up. A cold sweat broke out on his face as he clamped down on the moan that was fighting to break free. Finally, he got the jacket off. As soon as he did, he felt a hand grip his good arm.

"Daniel?"

The linguist turned to see Sam gazing at him with deeply worried eyes. He wiped a shaking hand over his brow. "Um . . . if you don't mind, Sam, I'm going to rest for a second."

"Daniel, let me see your shoulder."

"There's nothing you can do for it, Sam. We don't even have any water to clean it."

"Your arm should be immobilized. You're only going to make things worse by moving it around."

Daniel's eyes met Sam's. "We can't keep going like this forever, Sam. We both need medical attention. I have to do something about that drone, try to kill it. Tossing it around is only delaying it."

Sam shook her head. "Daniel, it wouldn't work. We set off enough explosives underneath one of those things that would have knocked an Al'Kesh out of the sky, and it didn't even phase it. You know what happened to you when you blew up the ship that attacked SG-1. The kind of power you'd need to destroy that drone could leave you brain damaged or even kill you. It's not worth the risk."

"I'd rather risk that than see you die, Sam," Daniel responded in a low voice.

Sam's heart clenched at hearing that statement. She had known for years that Daniel would give his life for her or for any of his teammates, just as she would for them. But to hear him say it upset her terribly.

"Daniel, listen to me. I don't want you giving your life for me if there is some chance that we can both make it out of this alive. There is a very good chance that the Stargate survived that blast. If it did, the SGC will send rescue teams to look for survivors, and whoever comes through would bring an alternate power source with them to power the gate. All we have to do is circle around back to it. If we can make it there well ahead of the drone, we can gate home." Sam took hold of Daniel's good arm, making him look at her. "So, I want you to promise me that you won't try to destroy that thing."

"I can't make that promise, Sam," he told her, his voice quiet but with a note of steel in it.

"Daniel. . . ."

"But I promise that I won't do it unless I think there is no other choice."

Sam paused, wanting to push the issue, but then nodded, knowing that it would do no good to argue with him.

Daniel looked down at his jacket. "Right now, I have to figure out how I'm going to rip this thing up with only one hand."

"Maybe I can do it."

Daniel's expression turned thoughtful. "Wait. I may have a better idea. Here. Grab the bottom."

Sam took hold of the bottom edge of the jacket as Daniel held the top. The archeologist stared intently at the garment. A moment later, it ripped in half, leaving Sam holding about a foot-wide strip of material.

"What do you know. It worked," Daniel said, hurting too much to be pleased at his accomplishment.

"That was a neat trick. Do you realize that you could become the world's greatest magician?"

The archeologist gave her a smile. "Now, if I could just manage the disappearing trick, we'd be all set."

Sam used the strip from Daniel's jacket as a bandage, wrapping it around her leg as tightly as she could stand it. She then helped Daniel turn the other half of the jacket into a sling to keep his arm immobile.

As she tied it around his neck, she met his eyes. "I'm really glad you're here with me, Daniel. If you weren't, I'd be out here alone."

Daniel knew that the pain in Sam's voice was emotional rather than physical. Neither of them knew what had happened to Jacob. When they regained consciousness, they'd been unable to see him. What they _did_ see, however, was the supersoldier that had been chasing them. It was lying half-buried in dirt and debris about twenty-five yards away. When the thing began to stir, Daniel and Sam had no choice but to run, leaving Sam's father behind. All they could do was hope that he was all right.

"I'm sure he's okay, Sam. We survived the blast, so I'd think that he would have, too. After all, he's got Selmak."

Sam nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Yes, you're right. Dad's tough, even more so since he became a Tok'ra."

Daniel hesitated before asking the question that had come into his mind. "Sam, if I wasn't with you, what would you have done?"

Sam thought about that. "I'd have headed up into the hills, like Dad said we should do. The higher ground would be more defensible, and I'd be able to see the drone's approach better."

"So, why aren't we doing that?"

"Because, with you here, there's a better chance of making it back to the Stargate. I couldn't have possibly made it across that much open ground with no weapon and no way to delay the drone. I'd have been a sitting duck."

"So, what happens if we get back to the gate only to find out that it can't be used?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll have to figure that out if the time comes."

"What about the ships?"

"What?"

"The scout ships that the drones came in. They were set down far enough away from the base that some of them might have survived the blast."

Sam stared at him, slack-jawed. "I didn't even think of that. Where was my head?" A huge smile lit Sam's face. "Daniel, you may have just saved us. If one of those ships is still functioning, we could fly it out of here."

"Yeah, but what if some of the other drones survived the blast and are sitting in those ships, waiting for this one to come back and say the job is done?"

"Then we'll have to deal with them."

Daniel shook his head. "You're putting an awful lot of confidence in my abilities, Sam."

"And why shouldn't I?" Sam smiled teasingly. "After all, you're the great Dan'yar, right?"

Any response Daniel may have given was halted when he got the now familiar feeling that the supersoldier was nearby. Hushing Sam, he gestured toward a clump of brush. They'd just barely managed to hide within it when they heard the drone coming. A few seconds later, it appeared.

Almost afraid to even breathe, Daniel and Sam stayed absolutely still as the supersoldier came to a stop a mere three feet from their hiding place. The archeologist prepared himself to strike at it if necessary.

After a tense, nerve-wracking moment, the drone moved on. The moment they believed that they could move without being heard or seen, Daniel and Sam left their hiding place. But as they got to their feet, Sam's weakened leg gave out on her, and she stumbled, stepping on a branch, which cracked loudly. They both heard the supersoldier running back in their direction. Knowing that they couldn't outrun it, Daniel pushed Sam down and waited for the drone to come in sight. It appeared a moment later, weapon firing. Mentally grabbing hold of it, Daniel lifted it high into the air, where it struggled like a bird caught in a net, then, with a mighty psychic heave, launched it away from them as hard and fast as he could. Several seconds later, a surprisingly distant sound of something crashing into the treetops told them that the supersoldier's 'flight' had come to an end.

"Wow," Sam said. "You must have thrown that thing a good two hundred fifty feet that time." She turned to Daniel and was horrified to see him leaning heavily against a tree, looking at if he was just about to pass out. "Daniel?!" With great difficulty, Sam got to her feet and went to him.

"I'm okay," Daniel told her in a breathy voice.

"No, you're not."

Daniel's eyes closed as he sank to the ground, his back against the tree. "You're right. I'm not."

"Daniel, what's wr. . . ." All at once, the answer hit her. _'I am such an idiot!'_ she berated herself. "You've been using your abilities too much. How bad is it?"

"Well, I'm still consciousness," Daniel replied weakly.

_'Just barely,'_ Sam silently responded. "Daniel, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about this. We need to find someplace where we can rest before you pass out, before we _both_ pass out. As far as you threw that thing and the way it landed, I don't see how it couldn't have been injured, perhaps seriously. That may give us some extra time."

It took several tries before Daniel managed to get to his feet. With the two friends supporting each other, they resumed walking, both of them hoping that they'd seen the last of the drone, but neither of them counting on it.

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Jack and Teal'c's search for their missing teammates had taken a decidedly grim turn. The discovery of the armor from one of Anubis' supersoldiers had made the situation even more serious than they had thought it was. If any of those things were still alive, the weapons Jack, Teal'c and SG-3 had wouldn't be able to stop them. Jack just hoped that none of the drones found Sam and Daniel.

A short while ago, SG-3 had found a group of sixteen survivors, and the SGC was going to be sending through SG-11 and 21 to help get the gate back upright so that the wounded could be taken to Earth. The fact that Daniel, Sam and Jacob were not among the group of survivors had been a big disappointment to Jack and Teal'c, but they weren't going to give up hope yet.

At that moment, both men spotted Jacob. He was on the ground, his leg pinned beneath a fallen tree trunk.

"Jacob!" Jack yelled, dashing forward. Teal'c lifted the tree off of Jacob's leg. The Tok'ra let out a moan, and Jack checked the injured limb, guessing that it was broken.

"Anubis' drones. . . ." Jacob said.

"We know," Jack told him.

Jacob handed Jack the prototype weapon. "Take this. It's not a hundred percent, but it's all we've got. It only has a few more shots. Sam has a fully charged power unit."

"Where are she and Daniel?"

Jacob shook his head. "I don't know. I don't even know if they're still alive."

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General Hammond sat at the briefing room table, his thoughts on what he'd found out from Jacob Carter, who was presently in the infirmary recovering from a broken leg. The thought that Daniel and Sam were being pursued by one of those drones had him very worried. He knew that, with Daniel's abilities, they had more of an advantage than they normally would, but could the archeologist destroy something that could survive what those supersoldiers could?

The arrival of Major Green, the Alpha Site's second in command, halted Hammond's thoughts. The man had been among the survivors found by SG-3, and the general now had some questions for him that needed answering.

"There are some questions that I have to ask you, Major," he said.

Hearing the firmness in the general's tone, Green wondered if he'd done something wrong. "Am I in some kind of trouble here, sir?"

"The fact that the Alpha Site has been compromised indicates we've got a serious breach of security on our hands here. The Pentagon is demanding that I launch a formal enquiry immediately. Just tell me what happened, Son."

"To tell you the truth, sir, I'm not entirely sure myself. I was still at chow when the alarm went off and the order to evacuate was given. When I got to the command center, Colonel Reilly told me that Anubis' forces were on their way. I couldn't see anything showing on the screens, so I asked how he knew. He said that Doctor Jackson had given the warning."

Hammond nodded at the confirmation of Jack's guess. "Go on."

"Well, sir. It wasn't more than a couple of minutes after that when we picked up ships entering orbit. That's when things got insane. The Stargate had been dialed up, and personnel were evacuating through it. Three attack bombers showed up. One was taken out by a rocket. A second one. . . . I don't know why, but the cockpit suddenly blew up. I know it wasn't hit by a rocket. Right after that, the third ship started dropping its bombs. The first few hit, but then, for some reason, the bombs started blowing up before they reached the ground. The Al'Kesh targeted the Stargate, and if the bombs had hit it, they'd have taken it out and killed everyone who was there. But they just . . . froze in midair. And then. . . . Sir, the bombs went after the ship that had fired them, destroyed it." Seeing the smile that touched the general's face, Green frowned. "You don't seem surprised, sir."

"Oh, I would be, Son, if it wasn't for the fact that a certain archeologist was on that base."

"Doctor Jackson? You mean he did all those things?"

"That would be my guess."

"That's incredible. I heard the reports about him, but. . . ."

"But to actually witness what he can do is a different story entirely."

"Yes, sir."

"Please continue."

"Eight of Anubis' drones started attacking the base. They took everything that we threw at them, and they just kept coming. One of them took out the DHD."

"So, Colonel Reilly ordered the self-destruct?"

"He knew there was some sensitive material on the base, sir. He stayed with the device so the enemy wouldn't have a chance to disarm it. He told the rest of us that we had one minute to make it to the tree line." Emotion colored the major's voice. "I should have stayed with him."

"You were following orders, Major."

"Yes, sir," Green said, still upset over the death of his C.O.

"Can you tell me if there was any unusual activity at the Alpha Site in the last few days? Any unscheduled gate activations or unexplained signals?"

"No, sir."

"What about the Jaffa and the Tok'ra? From what I understand, there was some sort of incident between then, which was the reason Doctor Jackson went to the Alpha Site."

"Yes, sir, but that incident wasn't the first one, it was just worse than the rest. As usual, the Jaffa and Tok'ra haven't been getting along very well."

"All right. I want a list of all personnel--human, Tok'ra, and Jaffa--who've come and gone to the Alpha Site gate in the last forty-eight hours."

"Yes, sir."

Major Green left, and Hammond returned to his office, mulling over what he'd just found out. Once again, Daniel Jackson's abilities had saved the lives of SGC personnel, as well as who knew how many Jaffa and Tok'ra. The general just hoped that he'd get the chance to thank the man.

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Jack's tension level had just gone up another few notches. A while ago, they had found what they were assuming were Daniel and Sam's footprints. The problem was that they also found the footprints of one of the supersoldiers going in the same direction, indicating that it was pursuing them. Just a few minutes ago, they'd found more tracks. It was now certain that the drone was hunting the two scientists. From the pattern and depth of the tracks, it was also clear that Sam's left leg was injured, enough that Daniel was helping to support her weight. Jack had to wonder what injuries Daniel had.

For a while now, the colonel had been wondering why that supersoldier was so determined to get Daniel and Sam. He had a bad feeling that he knew the reason.

"O'Neill, this drone appears very determined to kill Daniel Jackson and Major Carter," Teal'c said.

"Yeah."

"I believe it may be because of the prototype weapon."

"You've read my mind, Teal'c. I've been thinking the same thing. It's obvious that Anubis learned the location of the Alpha Site from someone. Chances are that he also learned about the weapon at the same time, and that's why he attacked the base."

"Indeed. That is what I believe may have happened as well."

Jack felt a little knot form in the pit of his stomach. "And if he learned those things, he might also have found out about Daniel. If that's the case, that drone might have recognized Daniel and be going after him and Sam for that reason, too." He looked at the Jaffa. "Teal'c, if Anubis knows that Daniel is Dan'yar, even if Daniel makes it out of this alive, he'll be on the run for the rest of his life, or until we manage to get rid of all the Goa'uld."

"If such is the case, we will have to strive even harder to put an end to the Goa'uld so that Daniel Jackson will be safe from them."

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M'zel strode through the corridors of the SGC. He had just been released from the Tau'ri's infirmary and had been summoned by the commander of the SGC.

During his time here, M'zel had spoken with the other Jaffa survivors, and what they spoke of was Daniel Jackson. They talked about how he fought with the power of a god against the Goa'uld ships and Anubis' soldiers, destroying two of the Al'Kesh, as well as most of the bombs that were dropped, and striking against the drones with such force that it sent them hurling through the air many dozens of paces. M'zel himself had witnessed some of these things and had been filled with wonder. He had seen Daniel Jackson stand, unmoving, in the path of an attacking Al'Kesh, facing possible death with unflinching courage as he brought destruction to the bombs that would have decimated the Alpha Site and slaughtered many. From one Jaffa in particular, one named Ka'ter, M'zel had learned something equally as extraordinary. Daniel Jackson had the ability to see the future. He had foreseen the attack on the base and given warning. It was because of him that so many had escaped before the ships started attacking.

Over these past weeks, M'zel had heard all the talk about Daniel Jackson and knew what many of his fellow Jaffa felt about the man. He had not entirely shared their view since he had known the archeologist before the man gained his amazing power. But, now, having seen that power for himself, he could understand why the rebel Jaffa had elevated the human to a status higher than any Goa'uld had ever been in their minds. No Goa'uld could have done what Daniel Jackson did this day, and no Goa'uld would have stayed and fought instead of fleeing through the Stargate. The man the Jaffa now called Dan'yar had saved the lives of many Jaffa, humans and Tok'ra today, perhaps at the cost of his own.

General Hammond was in the briefing room when M'zel arrived there. He was greeted cordially, but the Jaffa only wished to know one thing.

"I do not understand why I am being questioned," he said.

"We need to determine exactly what happened," Hammond replied.

"If you wish to know who betrayed the secret of your base, I suggest you ask the Tok'ra."

"Why do you say that?"

"They are without honor."

The general was clearly surprised by this statement. "They're your allies."

"Then why will they not help us?" M'zel asked, letting his outrage color his voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"Even as we speak, Anubis is moving against the System Lord Olokun. His drones are slaughtering the Jaffa that stand against them. They are dying for a hopeless cause."

"What does that have to do with the Tok'ra?"

"We believe that they have a spy in Olokun's higher ranks," M'zel explained, "one who could get close enough to assassinate him."

"I am aware that the Tok'ra recently placed several more spies among the System Lords so that they could learn if any of the Goa'uld knew the true identity of Dan'yar, but we haven't been given specific information yet on which System Lords, so I can't confirm if there is a spy in Olokun's ranks."

M'zel shook his head. "This spy would have been placed long before Daniel Jackson's power became known to the Tok'ra."

"The Tok'ra keep us apprised of their ongoing operations. If there was a spy in Olokun's ranks before now, we would have been informed."

"Yet the fact is that you were not. They are lying to you, just as they are to us. With Olokun dead, the siege would be over and his Jaffa would be free to join our movement. By doing nothing, the Tok'ra are dooming hundreds, perhaps thousands of Jaffa to death."

Hammond's gaze intensified. "Our gate logs show that a group of Jaffa left the Alpha site less than twenty-four hours before it was attacked. You sent your own people didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Have they reported back?"

"They have not," M'zel admitted.

"If they were captured by Anubis, he would have learned from them the location of the Alpha Site and the existence of the weapon being developed there. He has technology at his disposal that allows him to read a prisoner's mind."

"We became aware of this technology only today when Daniel Jackson told us about it. If we had known before, we would have taken more caution when sending men to recruit rebels from Olokun's army."

"I'm very sorry that you were not told about this," the general said regretfully. "You should have been informed. I promise that, in the future, you will be given any information we learn about the Goa'uld that could affect your people."

"When Heru'ur was killed, I was forced to pledge allegiance to the System Lord Apophis. The slayer of my master became my master. So it has been for all Jaffa for many thousands of years. But, now, we can choose to fight our oppressors, we can choose to be free. I ask only that the Jaffa who serve Olokun be given that same choice. If you allow me to go to the Beta Site to speak to the other survivors, I may be able to discover what happened to the Jaffa we sent."

"Very well."

M'zel turned to leave, then paused. "Is anything known yet about Daniel Jackson's fate?"

"We think that he and Major Carter are still alive, but we're pretty sure that they are being hunted by one of Anubis' drones."

"Then I believe that they will survive," the Jaffa said with confidence, "for the power I witnessed Daniel Jackson wield today is great enough to defeat that drone."

"I hope you're right."

After the Jaffa had left, Hammond sighed deeply. This whole thing had turned into a hell of a mess. Was M'zel right? Did the Tok'ra have a spy within Olokun's ranks? If so, why wasn't the SGC informed of it? He would have to ask Jacob about this.

When the Stargate was dialed up a while later so that they could get Colonel O'Neill's scheduled status report, the news was not good. Tracks had been found that Jack and Teal'c believed were Daniel's and Sam's, but it definitely appeared that the scientists were being pursued by a drone, confirming the suspicion Jacob had expressed when the general talked to him in the infirmary. It also appeared that Sam was injured.

Hammond told Jack that he would have the UAV they sent through a short while ago search in the direction that the tracks were taking. That UAV was equipped with two missiles. While talking to Jacob, they had decided that a missile might have the power to destroy a supersoldier if it was detonated close enough. It was the best hope they had of stopping the one that was hunting Daniel and Sam since the weapon Jack had was only partially effective in its present configuration.

As the Stargate shut down, Hammond's eyes stayed upon it, his prayers and wishes going out to the two people who were out there on that planet alone, fighting to survive against a creature determined to kill them.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Sam looked at Daniel worriedly. He was half-lying against a huge fallen tree, his eyes closed. He looked awful. His face was very pale, and she could tell that he was in a lot of pain. She was also concerned that he might be going into shock, though he kept insisting that he wasn't.

They had found a little brush-covered hollow that would hide them from the view of anyone going by. There was enough undergrowth in the area that they'd be able to hear the drone coming from quite a distance away. Sam hoped that they'd be able to stay there and rest for at least an hour, though she knew that would put them in greater danger of being found by the supersoldier. But if they didn't get some rest, their exhaustion would seriously hinder their ability to think clearly and act quickly.

Daniel had told her what he did at the base, how he destroyed the two Al'Kesh and detonated the bombs. Coupled with what he had done to the drones and his physical injury, it was no wonder that he was as bad off as he was. Janet was going to _kill_ him when she found out. Yet the truth was that, if it hadn't been for him, a whole lot more people wouldn't have made it out. Sitting there, Sam finally faced the fact that, if it hadn't been for _her_, she, Daniel and her dad would have made it out, too.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," Sam said quietly.

Daniel's eyes opened, and he looked at her. "For what?"

"For getting us into this mess. I should have listened to you. If I had just gone ahead and uploaded the unfinished weapon design into the matrix crystal instead of insisting on finishing the upgrade first, we would have made it out before the drone took out the DHD."

"Maybe, maybe not. We don't know that for sure. One thing I'm pretty sure about, though, is that, if we _had_ made it to the gate in time, I'd probably be dead now."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I wouldn't have stopped fighting, Sam, not until everyone else was safe. I could not have gone through that gate as long as someone was still there, not when I knew that they'd have had no hope of holding off those drones without me. So, when that self-destruct went off, I might still have been right there at ground zero, fighting those drones."

Daniel's words hit Sam in more ways than one, and one of those ways was adjusting her mental image of him. She had always known that he was courageous and self-sacrificing. She had known that he wasn't afraid to fight and would give his life to protect others. But she had never quite pictured Daniel as the brave warrior standing alone against impossible odds, courageously continuing to fight the enemy while everyone around him fled to safety. It was an image that seemed so contrary to that of the archeologist sitting at his desk, gently examining some artifact and expounding on the history behind it.

"You look surprised."

Daniel's voice brought Sam's thoughts back to the here and now. "Um . . . no. I mean, I'm not surprised that you'd keep fighting. It's just that . . . well, I never really pictured you like that before."

Daniel smiled slightly. "Ah, you mean in the role of the brave captain going down with his ship?"

"Sort of, although, when we went to destroy Apophis' ships, we knew there was a good chance that we'd _all_ be going down with the ship, so to speak."

"Yes, but that was different since it was all of us."

"Daniel, don't get me wrong. I know how brave you are. I know that you'd give your life for others, even for people you don't know." Her words made Sam recall that she'd said the same thing to him on Vis Uban when she was trying to convince him to come back to Earth. "In fact, you've already done that very thing. I guess it's just the image of you standing there, fighting those drones alone as the rest of the personnel escape through the Stargate, that's taking some time for me to absorb."

Daniel nodded. "I can understand that. With someone like Jack or Teal'c, it's easy to picture it because that's just the kind of thing they'd do. But I'm not really the Rambo type, despite the fact that I got tagged with that name. Not that Jack and Teal'c are as bad as Rambo, mind you . . . at least not usually." Daniel's eyes drifted away from hers. "If this had happened before I gained these abilities and we had made it to the gate in time, I'd have escaped through it when you and Jacob did since I'd have known that staying would have accomplished nothing except get me killed." His eyes returned to her. "But everything's different now, Sam. Peter Parker's uncle was right when he said 'with great power comes great responsibility'. Now that I have this power, I have the responsibility not just to use it _wisely_, but to _use_ it, to use it when it's needed. That's something the Ascended just don't seem to understand. So, knowing that I was the only person who could hold off those drones, how could I have left until after everyone else had gotten out?"

Sam gave him a smile of understanding. "You couldn't, any more than I could have in that situation, or the colonel, or Teal'c."

Daniel's eyes dropped to his lap. "But, in the end, I _did_ leave, didn't I."

"You had no choice, Daniel, _we_ had no choice. The Stargate was down, and those drones were targeting us. Staying would have just gotten you killed. As soon as you took care of the drone that was shooting the people at the gate, everyone there ran for the trees, just as you told them to. There's nothing more you could have accomplished there."

Daniel said nothing, thinking about the seven Jaffa who sacrificed themselves for him.

"Daniel, I don't know if you've realized this, but that drone isn't after us just because we're survivors."

The archeologist looked at her. "It's because of the weapon."

Sam nodded. "That drone went straight to our lab, didn't it?"

Daniel gave a nod of confirmation.

"Why did it do that?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "And why is it so determined to kill us as opposed to anyone else?"

"Because the weapon was the reason for the attack," Daniel replied. "Anubis found out about it."

"Yes."

Daniel's gaze had fallen to the ground between his feet. Sam could tell by his expression that something was really bothering him.

"What is it, Daniel?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Daniel, look at me," Sam requested gently.

Reluctantly, the archeologist lifted his eyes to hers.

"We're friends, right?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Then please don't hide something from me that's bothering you."

Daniel broke eye contact, casting his gaze off into the trees. "I was just thinking that, if you want to place responsibility for our situation on someone, you should place it on me."

Sam's forehead puckered in bafflement. "What? What are you talking about?"

"When I got to the Alpha Site, the feeling that something was wrong got stronger. When that happened, I should have immediately tried again to see what was going on. If I had, I would have seen the impending attack in plenty of time for everyone to get off the planet."

"Daniel, there is no guarantee that you'd have been able to see anything if you'd tried earlier. You've said yourself that this ability of yours to see the future isn't a hundred percent reliable."

Daniel looked at her. "But I could have tried, Sam."

"Yes, you could have, but, at the time, you were focused on what was going on with the Jaffa. Didn't you say that you had thought that your premonition might have something to do with them? You had no way of knowing at the time that it was warning you of an attack from Anubis. None of us had believed that could happen. We thought that we were safe here. You can't expect yourself to psychically divine every danger that we're going to face. That's too much to ask of yourself. What you have to think about is the fact that you saved lives today. If it hadn't been for your warning and what you did to those ships, a whole lot less people would have made it through the gate before the attack came." Sam laid her hand on his arm. "And there's something I want you to know." She caught his gaze and held onto it. "I am proud of you."

Daniel's eyes searched hers deeply, silently telling her how much those words meant to him. His hand took hers and held onto it tightly. "Thank you," he whispered.

Sam nodded and smiled. "You should get some rest."

"So should you."

Sharing another smile, the two friends lay back and closed their eyes, knowing that, no matter what came in the future, they would face it together.

--------------------------------------------------

Jacob tapped on the open door of General Hammond's office and walked in, part of his weight resting on the cane he held. Selmak was doing a speedy job of healing his leg, but it would still be a while before he was completely well.

"Jacob," Hammond greeted.

"Any news on Sam and Daniel?"

"Not yet, but we have a UAV airborne, and all available SG teams are searching. I don't know anyone tougher or more resourceful than those two, and with Daniel's abilities, I'd say the odds are pretty good that they'll make it out of this."

Jacob nodded. He had to believe that Daniel and his daughter were going to be fine. Thinking anything else was not an option. "How's the investigation going?"

"I have been meaning to talk to you about that. Do you know anything about a Tok'ra operative within Olokun's ranks?"

"Well, there would have been one placed there when this stuff about Daniel got so hot."

"No, I'm talking about before then. According to the Jaffa, you have a spy in Olokun's inner circle."

"They're mistaken."

The klaxons began to sound, followed by the warning of an unscheduled off-world activation. The general and the Tok'ra went to the gate room to see M'zel arrive.

"Did you learn anything at the Beta Site?" Hammond asked.

"Of the Jaffa sent to recruit rebels from Olokun's army, only one has returned," the Jaffa replied. "The fate of the others is unknown. Anubis has won a major victory. Thousands of Jaffa have been killed, and many of Olokun's commanders captured, the Tok'ra spy among them."

"That's impossible," Jacob insisted. "If we had someone on the inside, I would have known about it."

"Are you sure?" Hammond asked him.

A short while later, the general met with the Tok'ra Delek to find out once and for all if there had been an operative within Olokun's inner circle, but, when questioned, Delek became confrontational and uncooperative, refusing to answer the question. The fact that the man wouldn't say either way convinced the general that the Jaffa were right about the spy.

Hammond could not believe the Tok'ra's attitude. The terms of the Earth/Tok'ra alliance dictated full disclosure in matters of joint concern, but Delek was claiming that the disposition of their operatives was of no concern to Earth, which was ridiculous, as far as the general was concerned.

"Let me ask you something," Hammond finally said. "How many Tok'ra from the Alpha Site are still unaccounted for?"

"None. We know the fate of all Tok'ra who were at the Alpha Site."

"Well, you're very fortunate since I'm still missing fifteen of my people, including Doctor Jackson and Major Carter. And if it hadn't been for the actions of Doctor Jackson, I have no doubt that that number would have been quadrupled and that among the missing would have been some of your Tok'ra. So, believe me when I say that I'm going to get to the bottom of this with or without your help."

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel and Sam had gotten around forty-five minutes of rest before the archeologist insisted that they needed to get moving. They were both feeling a little better, though they desperately needed more rest than that. They were also in desperate need of water. Sam knew that, according to the UAV footage, there was a small lake further up into the hills, but it was too far away to do them any good. They were working their way back down to the Stargate, and to divert to the lake would cost them hours of time, not to mention the fact that neither one of them had the energy to travel that many extra miles.

They had seen no sign of the supersoldier since Daniel's last attack on it, and Sam was hoping that meant that it had suffered enough damage to put it out of commission for a few hours. If they were _really_ lucky, the thing broke its neck when it landed. Even a broken leg would keep it from going anywhere for a while.

"Sam, I hear running water," Daniel said.

Picking up the pace a little, they soon came upon a small river, where they quenched their thirst, wishing they had canteens they could fill.

Sam sat down for a moment to ease the strain on her leg. She looked at Daniel, who was now also sitting. "While we're here, we should do something about cleaning our wounds. We'll take care of yours first." When the archeologist showed signs of objecting, Sam added, "That's an order, Daniel."

The archeologist's face lightened with humor. "An order, huh? Sam, do you realize that's the first time you've ever actually given me an order? You've suggested, asked, instructed and pleaded, but never ordered."

Sam tried to maintain a firm expression. "Well, I am second in command of SG-1, Daniel, and you're a member of my team."

Daniel just looked at her, eyes twinkling, a smile teasing at his lips.

"So . . . are you going to follow my orders any better than you do the colonel's?"

Daniel's smile finally broke through. "I doubt it."

"Daniel--"

"But if you _ask_ me, that's a different story."

Sam stared at Daniel for a moment, then laughed softly. "No wonder the colonel calls you a pain in the ass."

Daniel chuckled. "Am I a pain in the ass for you, too, Sam?"

"No, not usually."

Daniel's hand came out and caressed her cheek, his eyes full of love. "That's good." His voice had gone soft and deep.

Sam closed her eyes at the touch, feeling the pleasure of it. She was disappointed when the touch ended. She opened her eyes to see that Daniel was now frowning down at the ground.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Sorry?"

"I promised you that I'd be just a friend to you, that I wouldn't . . . you know."

"Daniel, it's okay. You did absolutely nothing wrong. Do you think that I don't want you to touch me anymore?"

"No, I just--"

Daniel's voice broke off abruptly as his sixth sense sent a warning screaming through him. A second later, the drone appeared a few yards away on the opposite side of the river. It began firing. Daniel and Sam rolled away, seeking cover, but one of the energy bolts hit Sam. Her cry of pain filled Daniel with fear and rage.

Turning his eyes upon the drone, he reached for the power inside him. With killing force, Daniel turned his thoughts and his power not upon the virtually indestructible armored supersoldier standing before him, but upon the very mortal creature of flesh and bone that was _within_ the armor.

The drone halted, pausing as if in puzzlement . . . and then it screamed, screamed as flames burst from the seams of the armor and leapt about it like some terrifying aura, screamed as it was consumed from within by the raging heat. Before it even had time to start thrashing, the supersoldier collapsed to its knees, then fell over. In the space of ten seconds from the time Daniel struck, it was dead.

Daniel stared at the corpse, horror over what he'd just done rising to overwhelm him. He scrambled to his feet and staggered away a couple of yards before falling to his hands and knees and violently throwing up. As the retching stopped, a black wave rolled over the top of him, and he pitched headlong into the darkness.

--------------------------------------------------

Sam stared at the dead drone, shocked beyond words by what had just happened. Daniel had burned the thing right inside its armor! Holy Hannah!

A choking sound made Sam look at Daniel. There was an expression of absolute horror on his face. He abruptly got to his feet and hurried away. He didn't make it far, though, before crashing back to the ground and vomiting.

Pushing aside the pain of both her new wound and the one in her leg, Sam went to Daniel. But, just as she reached him, he keeled over into a crumpled heap and lay still.

"Daniel!"

Sam went down beside him. His pulse was fast and thready, his face bone-white, chest barely moving.

Sam pulled him into her arms. "Daniel? Come on, Daniel. Don't you do this to me," she said in a scared little voice. "You won. You beat it. You can't give up on me now."

Closing her eyes tightly, Sam held onto Daniel, praying that, in saving her life, he hadn't sacrificed his own.

--------------------------------------------------

Jacob was mad. No, make that furious. The Tok'ra High Council had gone behind his back and placed an operative inside Olokun's ranks several months ago. They had kept him and Selmak out of the loop because they had questions over Selmak's true loyalties, thinking that he was being influenced too much by Jacob in regards to Earth and the SGC. Selmak was furious as well, and Jacob had been listening to his ranting ever since their talk with Delek.

_'Selmak, is there any truth at all to their claims?'_ Jacob asked.

_'No, of course not,'_ his symbiote immediately answered.

_'Are you sure? When you and I were first blended, you didn't feel that the people of Earth were mature enough to have advanced technology. Now, you support their efforts to gain technology to fight the Goa'uld.' _

_'Before you became my host, Jacob, I did not know the Tau'ri. In the years since our blending, I have come to see that the people of Earth, specifically the people of the Stargate Program, are not as immature as my fellow Tok'ra believe them to be. This has nothing to do with you personally or any influence you have had on me. It is because being blended with you has given me the opportunity to get to know your people and because I can look beyond the preconceived notions of the other Tok'ra and see the truth. In that way, you being my host **has** affected my viewpoint, but not in the way the High Council thinks.' _

Jacob went to General Hammond's office and filled him in on what he had learned. When he said that he'd helped with the investigation as much as he could and wanted to get back to the Alpha Site to join the search for Sam and Daniel, he was surprised and a little irritated when Hammond said he was needed at the SGC.

"George, I already told you, I'm out of the loop," Jacob said in response. "They don't trust me anymore. They think my emotions are clouding my judgment, which is a little ironic considering that I'm wasting all this time while my own daughter and a man I care about like a son are out there being hunted by that thing."

"We have our best people on this, Jacob. They will find them."

"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

"I just got a report from the Beta Site. The Jaffa are blaming the Tok'ra for what happened. There have already been several altercations. If I can't get the situation under control, I have orders to expel them all. Our alliance is falling apart. I need someone to bridge the gap, someone to be the voice of reason. I need you."

Jacob shook his head. "No, George. The person you need is Daniel Jackson."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Very carefully, Sam rinsed Daniel's shoulder wound with cool water from the river. The wound looked awful, but there was no indication of infection yet. The same was true for her own wound, the one in her leg, that is. Her new injury was just a minor flesh wound on her right side under her ribs. Very painful because of the burned skin, but, as long as infection didn't set in, it would be fine.

Daniel had been unconscious for nearly an hour now, and Sam was sick with worry over him. She didn't know how much damage that last use of his abilities had done to him. She was still trying to wrap her mind around what he had done. He had quite effectively gotten around the problem of the supersoldier's armor and attacked the drone itself, which, for all its fierceness and resiliency, was still just a mortal, flesh and blood creature.

Aside from the possible physical damage, Sam knew what this was going to do to Daniel emotionally. He might be the man who, over the past few hours, had destroyed two Al'Kesh and attacked several of Anubis' drones, and who, since gaining his abilities, had wielded fire and other powers to defeat and destroy the forces of the Goa'uld, but, deep inside, he was still the gentle, caring soul who hated violence and didn't want to kill anyone. It was so ironic that powers capable of such terrible destruction had been given to one who only wanted peace. But then again, that's the way it should be, for only someone like Daniel had the morality to possess such power and not abuse it.

A small sigh drew Sam's eyes to her friend's face. With indescribable relief, she watched his eyelids flutter and open.

"Daniel?"

"Sam? What happened?"

"You passed out. How are you feeling?"

Daniel frowned, his gaze turning inward as he tried to recall what happened. She knew the second that the memory came back to him. What was left of the color in his face drained away.

"Oh, God," he said in a choked whisper, his eyes closing tightly, head turning away.

"Daniel? Daniel, listen to me," Sam said firmly. "You did what you had to. You were protecting us. That drone wasn't going to stop until it killed us. Yes, you could have thrown it again, but it would have just come right back, and, maybe next time, it would have caught us completely by surprise and killed us." She laid her hand on his cheek. "As awful as it was, you did the right thing."

Daniel somehow found the strength to roll onto his side and then sit up, facing away from her. "I know I had no choice but to kill it, Sam," he said, "but the thought of how I did it. . . ."

Sam gently and soothingly rubbed his back. "I know, Daniel. Believe me, I know." She scooted over to his side and put her arms around him. Daniel's good arm wrapped around her waist, and his head came down to rest upon her chest. Sam tilted her head downward and laid it on his.

The two friends stayed like that for a long time, neither one of them in any hurry to move. Sam realized that, just a few short months ago, they would never have been so physically demonstrative and emotionally open to each as they'd been over the past couple of hours. Yes, they were best friends, but there had still been a level of emotional privacy between them, thoughts and feelings that they would not share. But they were growing closer now, their friendship becoming even deeper, more intimate. Sam decided that she liked it, a lot.

Not even thinking about what she was doing, Sam placed a kiss on the nape of Daniel's neck. She felt a little shudder pass through his body. He lifted his head and looked at her, that same expression of love in his eyes that she'd seen several times since he confessed his love for her.

Giving her time to stop him if she wished, Daniel cupped her cheek, leaned forward and kissed her. The gentle touch lasted only a moment but left Sam feeling somewhat shaken. His kiss had not been one of passion or desire, but of love, a love that Sam could almost physically feel coming from within him.

Smiling to let him know that he'd done nothing wrong by kissing her, Sam pulled back. The archeologist's gaze inadvertently fell upon the place where the supersoldier had died. He was surprised when all he saw was a scorched patch of earth.

"Where is it?" he asked.

Sam followed the direction of his gaze. "I pushed it into the river. The body floated downstream. I didn't think you'd want to see it."

Daniel turned back to her. "Thank you." He then remembered something. "Sam, were you hit by one of those energy bolts?"

"Yes, but it's nothing serious, just a very shallow flesh wound."

"Where?"

"My right side. Like I said, it's not bad, even if it does it hurt like crazy."

Daniel took a look at the wound. The gash was long but not deep, though the burned skin made it look a lot worse than it probably was. Even so, he insisted on doing something about it. Sam, however, was adamant that she was going to finish attending to Daniel's injury first. She got him to lay back down and finished cleaning his wound as best as she could without the proper medical supplies. She was careful not to touch the burned flesh, knowing how painful it would be. Removing her jacket, she used part of it for a bandage, soaking it in the cool water before placing it over Daniel's wound. She felt him flinch, but he didn't make a sound.

"I'm afraid that's the best that I can do," she said. "Hopefully, it will stay in place."

Daniel took care of Sam's wound, though it took longer since he had to do it one-handed.

"How's your leg doing?" he asked.

"Not too bad. I've been resting it as much as I can. I've already taken care of cleaning it."

"I'd still like to take a look at it."

With Sam's help, Daniel unwrapped the makeshift bandage and looked at the wound. Now that it had been cleaned, it looked much better than it did before, and the bleeding had mostly stopped."

"Will you be able to keep walking okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I've made it this far."

As Daniel helped rewrap her leg, Sam noticed that his hand was shaking quite a bit. Looking closely at his face, she saw that he was still very pale and really didn't look at all well.

"How are _you_ feeling?" she asked him.

"Okay," he replied, just a bit too quickly.

Sam kept the suspicion out of her voice. "Are you sure? You know, you really scared me when you passed out like that."

"Well . . . I have a headache," Daniel admitted reluctantly.

"A headache?" Sam's eyes narrowed. "Is that all?"

"Um . . . no."

Daniel's face and the tone of his voice reminded Sam of a little boy who'd done something very wrong and was afraid to tell his mother.

"Okay, Daniel. Level with me. How bad do you feel?"

"I'd really rather not say, Sam."

"How come?"

"Because you'd insist that we stay here for the next couple of hours while I recuperate."

"Well, maybe that's what we should do, then. I don't want you pushing yourself, Daniel, and we don't have to worry about the drone anymore."

"Sam, I really don't want to stay here any longer, and we don't have all that much daylight left. Do you really want to spend the night out here? We can just take it easy, go slow. When I feel like I need to rest, we'll rest. Okay?"

Sam sighed rather loudly. She couldn't blame Daniel for not wanting to stay here, and he was right about them running out of daylight, but he really was being pig-headed about this.

"All right, but if I think it's too much for you, we're going to stop. You got it?" Sam said in a tone of voice that brooked no argument.

"Is that another order, Major?" Daniel asked, the slightest touch of amusement in his voice.

"You bet it is, buster."

"Okay, just wanted to be sure."

The difficulty Daniel had in just getting to his feet almost made Sam put her foot down and demand that they stay there a while longer. But, once he was up, he was determined to get going. So, once again supporting each other, the two friends made their way toward the Stargate.

They'd been walking for perhaps twenty minutes when they heard the very welcome buzz of a UAV engine. Picking up their pace a bit, they got to a place where they could see a large section of the sky. The UAV came into view a moment later.

"Yes!" Sam shouted.

"They must have gotten the gate open," Daniel said in relief.

That relief was instantly transformed into dismay as a white bolt of energy streaked through the air and struck the wing of the UAV. The craft spiraled out of the sky and crashed out of sight.

"Oh my God. There's another drone," Sam said.

The shot had come from a spot off to the southwest. Ducking back into the cover of the trees, Daniel and Sam kicked their senses back into full alert. What had been a slow trip to the Stargate had once again turned into a race against death, and both of them knew that, if Daniel was again forced to use his abilities to stop a supersoldier, it would very like leave him permanently brain damaged or dead.

--------------------------------------------------

Jacob had just finished talking to M'zel. As a leader among the Jaffa, M'zel had some influence over his people, and Jacob had been hoping that speaking to him would help put a stop to the hostilities at the Beta Site. He pointed out to M'zel how these years that the Tok'ra, Jaffa and Tau'ri have been fighting together had made a difference. More System Lords had fallen in the past seven years than in the previous seven hundred. Unfortunately, though M'zel had recognized the wisdom of Jacob's words, knowing that, together, they were strong, he also knew that Jacob did not speak for all of the Tok'ra. In the end, he said that, until the other Tok'ra felt the same as Jacob, reconciliation between them and the Jaffa might not be possible. Jacob had to admit that the man had a point. The attitude of his fellow Tok'ra was really irritating the former general. They just didn't seem to understand that, by themselves, the Tok'ra could not defeat the Goa'uld.

A meeting would be taking place in a short while about the situation with the Tok'ra, the Jaffa and Earth, and Jacob did not have a good feeling about it. Delek was unwilling to compromise in any way, and he was apparently representing the view of the majority of the High Council. Without compromise, there could be no agreements.

Jacob feared that today would see an end to the alliance that could have brought an end to the Goa'uld. He did not want to think of what the future would bring if that happened.

--------------------------------------------------

Jack was getting pretty concerned, and he knew that Teal'c was, too. There wasn't a whole lot of daylight left. If they didn't find their missing teammates before dark, Daniel and Sam would be forced to spend the night out here with no supplies and no heat. Would the drone stop looking for them when it got dark?

Coming upon a narrow river, Jack and Teal'c looked for the best place to cross it.

"O'Neill, look!" Teal'c exclaimed, pointing at something in the shallows on the opposite bank.

Realizing what it was, Jack waded into the river, Teal'c right behind him. Coming out on the other side, they approached the object they'd seen.

The supersoldier was most definitely dead, lying face-down in the water. But what had killed it? Teal'c pulled the body out of the river. Finding the release mechanisms for the faceplate of the helmet, he removed it.

"Gah!" Jack exclaimed in disgust, stepping back a pace.

It was pretty clear what had killed the drone. The thing was burnt to a crisp, nothing much left of the face except bone and ragged, blackened flesh. It had apparently cooked right inside its own suit.

Realization hit Jack like a physical blow. "Daniel did that."

Teal'c nodded. "Indeed, O'Neill. There can be no other explanation."

Jack grimaced. "God." His attention turned upstream. "That means that he and Carter are still alive."

The colonel's radio crackled to life. The voice of Reynolds told them that the UAV had been shot down about four kilometers from their position.

"Wait a minute. This happened just now?" Jack questioned.

"No more than two minutes ago," Reynolds replied.

Jack's gaze went to the dead supersoldier. This could only mean one thing: there was another drone out there, which meant that Daniel and Sam were still in danger.

"We're on it," Jack told the leader of SG-3.

Their eyes meeting for a moment, Jack and Teal'c hurried off in the direction of the crashed UAV.

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel and Sam stared at the wreckage of the UAV from their hiding place a few yards away. They'd gone in search of it, hoping that the video equipment might have survived the crash and still be transmitting. Instead, they'd discovered something else. The craft was carrying two missiles, and Sam believed that she might be able to use them against the supersoldier.

The UAV was lying within a small clearing, which was good in one way, bad in another. If it had crashed into the trees, it might have been too badly damaged for anything to be usable, but the lack of cover would make getting to the UAV dangerous.

"It looks all clear," Daniel said, "and I don't sense anything."

"I say we go for it."

"Me too."

Sam looked at her companion. "Daniel, if that thing comes and you have to . . . do something. . . ."

Daniel looked at her. "I know, Sam. I'll try to use as little force as I can. But you need to understand something. There isn't any sacrifice that I'm not willing to make for you."

Sam gazed into Daniel's eyes, wishing she knew what to say. "I know, Daniel," she finally said. "And I want you to know that, if our situations were reversed, I'd do the same thing."

That having been said, Daniel and Sam cautiously made their way to the UAV. Sam immediately got to work on "hot wiring" one of the missiles so that she could fire it. Daniel divided his time between watching her work and keeping a lookout.

"What are the chances that this is going to work?" he asked.

"I really don't know for sure. That armor may be strong, but the drone can withstand just so much kinetic energy. If I can hit it dead on, or at least within a couple of feet, the force of the blast should literally blow it apart at the seems, regardless of how strong the armor itself may be."

Daniel was quiet for a moment. "Sam, one of us is going to have to act as bait for that thing."

Sam's head jerked around to look at him. "What? No, we discussed this already. We figured that the thing would come check out the crash."

"From what direction, Sam? Yes, we know that it was to the southwest of our earlier position, but we have no way of predicting exactly where it's going to come out of those trees. Are you going to be able to adjust the aim of that missile quickly?"

"No," Sam admitted, "not with any accuracy."

Daniel nodded shortly. "Then I need to leave a trail, one the drone is going to follow," his gaze went to the forest, "which means that I'm going to have to go drone hunting."

"No way, Daniel. It's too dangerous. You could run right into it."

"I'll be able to sense its presence, especially if I'm concentrating fully on finding it. That should help me avoid blundering into it."

Sam shook her head emphatically. "No. This is a really bad idea, Daniel. Look. Let's just forget this. We'll make a run for the Stargate. We know it's working, and, if the SGC is operating under standard protocol, there will be someone posted at the gate."

"The drone is too close, Sam. The shot that took out this UAV came from no more than half a mile away. It's closing that distance even as we speak. You know that neither one of us can move very fast. Do you honestly think that we can keep far enough ahead of it as we cross that open area to get to the Stargate? I don't know how many times I'm going to be able to throw it before I pass out again."

Sam knew that Daniel was right, and she hated it. She hated that he was going to have to go out there and put himself in extreme danger to lure the supersoldier into their trap. She hated that he might have to sacrifice his life for hers.

And she hated that, if he died, she will have never taken a chance at loving him.

"Daniel, please be careful," Sam begged, the smallest of tremors in her voice.

Daniel gave her a gentle smile and briefly touched her cheek, then he got to his feet and headed away into the forest.

Wiping away a single tear, Sam got back to work.

--------------------------------------------------

Hammond looked at the men assembled around the briefing table. "Gentlemen, we've asked you here together because we need your help to keep the situation at the Beta Site from getting out of hand.

"I'm not sure what you expect the Tok'ra to do, General," Delek said. "We have suffered a number of unprovoked assaults."

"Unprovoked?" M'zel responded. "You refused to help us, and thousands of Jaffa died needlessly."

"Assassinating Olokun was never an option."

"Why not?"

"We had no way of knowing how many Jaffa would join the rebels. We could have been delivering an entire army into the hands of Anubis."

"They deserved the right to choose," M'zel said, outraged. "Instead, they were slaughtered."

"We have been fighting the Goa'uld for thousands of years. You have no right to question our methods," Delek told him angrily. He turned to Hammond. "You wish to keep this alliance, but what good has it done us? In the few short years we have known the Tau'ri, your tendency to provoke direct confrontation with the Goa'uld has resulted in the deaths of more Tok'ra than in the previous one hundred years combined."

"I hate to admit it, George, but he's got a point," Jacob said reluctantly. "When a human or a Jaffa dies in battle, more are born to take their place. The same can't be said for the Tok'ra."

"Our Queen Egeria, from whom all Tok'ra are spawned, is dead," Delek reminded everyone. "Our numbers are dwindling. This alliance may simply be something we cannot afford."

Sergeant Harriman came into the briefing room. "I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but we just got a report from the Alpha Site. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c have found proof that Doctor Jackson and Major Carter are still alive. Doctor Jackson has killed the drone that was after them, but, apparently, there's another one out there. The UAV was shot down by it, and the colonel and Teal'c are going to investigate."

"Thank you, Sergeant," the general said. "Please keep me informed."

Hammond turned back to the others. There was an expression of relief on Jacob's face. M'zel's features wore a look of satisfaction.

"I recommend that we put the rest of this discussion on hold for now," Hammond said. "We will pick it back up after everything with Doctor Jackson and Major Carter is resolved."

"I agree," Delek said. "I must speak with the High Council concerning these matters."

The general's gaze focused on M'zel and Delek. "In the meantime, I would like the two of you to do something about declaring a ceasefire at the Beta Site."

The Jaffa nodded. "I will go speak to the Jaffa immediately. They will wish to be told the news about Daniel Jackson."

Delek and M'zel left. Hammond turned to the person remaining in the room.

"Are we going to be able to save the alliance, Jacob?"

"I really don't know, George."

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel made his way through the forest, deliberately trampling undergrowth, breaking small twigs on trees, laying down a trail that screamed, "We went this way!"

He'd gotten pretty close to the supersoldier before turning around and beginning the business of making the trail, close enough that, if Sam knew, she'd be seriously pissed off. But he had wanted to be sure the thing found the trail. The problem was that he was having to pick up the pace to stay far enough ahead of it.

Daniel knew that he was in no condition to do this. His whole body was shaking from the effects of both the wound in his shoulder and the physical consequences of using his abilities way more than he should have. He honestly didn't know what was keeping him upright, let alone walking. Once they got home, he was going to sleep for a week.

Breaking from the trees, Daniel saw Sam and the UAV and headed toward them. He'd covered about half the distance when his sixth sense yet again warned him of danger. He spun around and saw the drone come into view.

"Daniel, run!" Sam yelled.

Spinning back around, Daniel ran, dredging up a final reserve of energy from somewhere. Deadly bolts of light whizzed by him, and he was expecting to feel the agonizing burn of one hitting him at any second..

The archeologist glanced over his shoulder and saw that the supersoldier was gaining on him. Realizing that he wasn't going to make it to the UAV in time, Daniel screamed, "Shoot, Sam!" Then he made a dive to the ground, trying his best to protect his injured shoulder from further damage.

Terrified that Daniel was too close to the blast area, Sam fired off the missile, knowing that she had no choice.

The missile flew straight toward the drone and impacted the ground directly in front of it. A huge explosion rocked the clearing, tossing dirt, rocks and other debris high into the air.

As everything settled back to the ground, there was a moment of utter silence. Sam looked at the place where the supersoldier had stood, seeing no sign of it. She then looked at Daniel. He was partly buried in dirt . . . and he wasn't moving.

"Daniel?" Sam called, her heart hammering in her chest. There was no reply.

Almost sick with fear, Sam limped toward him. Going down on her knees at his side, she reached out trembling hands to touch him.

"Daniel? Daniel, please answer me."

A low moan answered her plea. Daniel stirred beneath her hands.

A wave of relief washed through Sam with such force that it made her feel faint. "Daniel, don't move. There's no telling how badly you're hurt."

"You mean I'm hurt even more than I was before?" came a muffled response, sounding somewhat whiny. "This really isn't my day."

Sam choked back a laugh.

Ignoring her advice to stay still, Daniel turned over onto his back, grimacing in pain. "Ow, ow."

"What hurts?"

The archeologist looked up at her. "You have to ask?"

"Yeah, I guess that is a stupid question. _Everything_ hurts, right?"

"Pretty much, although my hair doesn't feel too bad."

"Any broken bones?"

"No, I don't think so, though I'm guessing I'm going to have a few lovely new bruises from flying rocks to add to my collection."

Sam helped Daniel sit up. "Let's rest for a while. That explosion should attract someone to our location."

The two scientists were getting to their feet when a sound made them freeze. They turned as one and saw an arm emerge from the earth and other debris where the drone had stood. Horrified, they watched the supersoldier slowly stand.

Daniel's eyes met Sam's, and, in them, she saw him saying goodbye to her.

_'No,'_ she said in voiceless denial.

Daniel's attention had turned back to the supersoldier, who was now aiming its weapon at them, and Sam could almost feel him gathering his power, power that would destroy the drone and very likely leave Daniel dead or irreversibly brain damaged.

At that instant, unexpected salvation arrived in the form of Teal'c. The Jaffa opened fire on the drone, drawing its attention toward him. Sam and Daniel scrambled away as the supersoldier returned fire at Teal'c. They took cover behind a small outcropping of rocks. Jack was at their side a moment later. He fired the prototype weapon at the drone, causing the thing to stagger a little.

"Carter, I need the--"

Sam handed him the upgraded power unit.

Jack took it. "Thanks." He popped it into the prototype weapon and fired two shots. The supersoldier fell and did not get up.

Jack tossed the weapon to Teal'c. "Cover him."

"Nice of you to join us, Jack," Daniel said, leaning back against the rocks wearily.

"Yeah, well, I was in the area." Jack looked at the two youngest members of his team. "You two look awful."

"No. Really?" Daniel responded with a sarcastic bite to his voice.

Sam looked at the drone. "It is dead, isn't it?"

"Yeah, he's dead," Jack replied. "Right, Teal'c? He's dead?"

Teal'c kicked the soldier, then nodded when it didn't move.

"Yeah, he's dead," Jack confirmed. He looked at Daniel and Sam. "So, you ready to get out of here?"

"I think we need a minute, Jack," the archeologist replied tiredly.

Finally letting her exhaustion take hold, Sam dropped her head onto Daniel's chest. His good arm came around her shoulders, and his cheek settled against her hair as his eyes closed.

Jack watched the two of them, seeing that they wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. He got Reynolds on the radio and told him to send a medical team with stretchers to their location.

"You did good, kids," he murmured softly to Daniel and Sam. "You made it."


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

General Hammond, Jacob, Delek and M'zel were once again gathered in the briefing room.

"First of all, we'd like to congratulate you on the recovery of Doctor Jackson and Major Carter," Delek said. "We're glad to know that they are both safe."

"Thank you," Hammond responded.

"I have spoken to the High Council with regard to the situation at the Beta Site. The Council believes the best solution is for the Tok'ra to leave."

"Is that really necessary?"

Everyone turned in surprise at the new voice. Daniel was standing in the doorway between general Hammond's office and the briefing room, apparently having come in the back way. His arm was in a sling, and it was clear to see that he was in no condition to be on his feet.

"Doctor Jackson, what are you doing here?" the general asked. "You should be in the infirmary."

"Actually, right now, I think I need to be here."

Hammond was tempted to order the man back to the infirmary but had to admit that he could use Daniel's help in this. "Very well. Please take a seat."

Daniel gingerly lowered himself into one of the chairs, trying hard not to show how utterly exhausted and sore he was. It had taken a lot to get Janet to allow him to come to this meeting. He'd just about had to promise her his firstborn son. She had settled for him staying for a week in the infirmary with no complaints or pleas about being released. She had also insisted that he not walk here. There was a nurse with a wheelchair waiting out in the hallway to take him back to the infirmary.

"Okay, I've sort of been filled in on what's been going on here," Daniel began, "and I have to say that I'm surprised that you're considering ending the alliance, especially now that we have a weapon capable of stopping Anubis' soldiers."

"If this partnership were to continue, you would insist on full disclosure of all our covert operations, would you not?" Delek asked.

"I'm afraid that's nonnegotiable," Hammond confirmed.

"In that case, we must refuse. Secrecy is our only weapon. It's all we've ever known."

"I can understand your need for secrecy, Delek," Daniel said. "Because of a lack of secrecy, I'm now in a position where I might become the most hunted man in the galaxy. But I can also understand why we need to know where your operatives are placed. Have you even considered what would happen if an SG team was to run across one of your spies and kill them because we thought they were a Goa'uld?"

Delek paused. "I admit that we did not."

"Knowing where your spies are placed among the System Lords lets us know where our allies are, which affects how we plan missions. We'd use more caution if we knew that a Tok'ra might get caught in the crossfire. And there's also the fact that it puts us in a position to offer aid to them if they need it."

"Yet the truth remains that, in these years that we have been associated with you, far more Tok'ra have died than would have if we had never met you."

"That may be so, and I'm sorry if that is the case. It certainty isn't what we wanted or planned for. But, with this new weapon, we're finally in a position where we can really make a difference. Do you really want to walk away from that?"

"I am sorry, Doctor Jackson, but, regardless of the issue of secrecy, the High Council has decided that remaining in this alliance is far too costly for us."

"The Jaffa, too, have considered leaving," M'zel announced.

"Why?" Hammond asked. "Because of the Tok'ra? But if they leave--"

"We would not be leaving because of the Tok'ra," M'zel interrupted. "On your base, you dictate the terms. We must consult you before we take any action. There are those among us who feel we simply traded one master for another."

"We're not trying to tell you what to do," Hammond insisted. "We simply think it's important to coordinate our efforts."

"Unlike the Tau'ri or the Tok'ra, the Jaffa are still learning what it means to be free. In order to do this, we must have our own bases, train our own leaders, build our own communities. We must do this for ourselves or it would have no meaning."

"M'zel. . . ." Daniel began but was halted by the Jaffa's upraised hand.

"All of these things are strong reasons for us to leave," M'zel continued. His eyes rested squarely on Daniel. "But we have found an even stronger reason to stay."

"What?" Daniel asked.

"You, Daniel Jackson."

The archeologist's eyebrows lifted sharply. "Me?"

"Before returning here, I passed on the word of your survival and your defeat of Anubis' drones to my fellow Jaffa at the Beta Site. Every one of them rejoiced at the news. We all know what you did at the Alpha Site during the attack. We witnessed the power you wielded to stop Anubis' ships and soldiers. We saw how you refused to leave when you had the chance, choosing to fight instead. We know that you put the lives of the Jaffa ahead of your own when you told them to escape when they wanted to stay and fight at your side. You are a friend and brother to all rebel Jaffa, Daniel Jackson, and a mighty weapon against the Goa'uld. How could we walk away from that? We wish to stay and fight with you, for, united, we are strong enough to defeat the Goa'uld."

Daniel was left speechless, having no idea what to say.

Delek rose from the table. "I will be leaving in a short while. However, Jacob and Selmak have requested to stay until Jacob's daughter has awakened. We ask that we be given a copy of the completed weapon design so that we may reproduce it for our own use."

General Hammond nodded. "Of course." He got to his feet. "I know that nothing I say is going to change your mind, but I hope that, in time, you will see things differently. We will welcome resuming our alliance with you if that time comes."

As Delek left, M'zel also stood. "I must go as well. There is much to be done at the Beta Site." He inclined his head at Daniel, then left.

"All right, Doctor Jackson. It's time that you went back to the infirmary," Hammond said firmly.

"Yeah. That's, um . . . that's a good idea," Daniel responded, suddenly not feeling very well at all. As he got to his feet, the room did this alarming loop, and his legs instantly turned to rubber. '_Oh, not good,'_ was the thought that went through his mind as his vision greyed-out.

Jacob watched as Daniel's face went absolutely white and jumped forward to catch him as he fell. The Tok'ra lowered him gently to the ground while Hammond called for a medical team.

"I'm not feeling so well," Daniel whispered. Then his eyes rolled back into his head, and he fainted dead away.

Jacob held onto the unconscious man. "You're going to be okay, Daniel," he murmured, too softly for Hammond to hear. "You'd better be or I'm going to kick your butt. I have every intention of seeing you marry my little girl."

--------------------------------------------------

Sam roused slowly to consciousness. She opened her eyes to see her father sitting at her bedside.

"Hiya, kid," he said softly. "You were asleep for a long time. You gave me quite a scare."

Sam's eyes widened. "Daniel!" she cried, half sitting up. Jacob gently pushed her back down.

"Shh. He's all right, Sam. He's right over there. See?"

Sam looked in the direction he was pointing to see Daniel. He was in the very next bed, dead to the world. "How is he?"

"In even worse shape than you, which is saying a lot. How he kept going on that planet is beyond me. That boy gives a whole new meaning to the word 'stubborn'. But he's going to be all right. Doctor Fraiser did all her scans and tests and said that his brain is still in working order, though I guess there was some very minor bleeding. His shoulder will take a while to heal, and he'll need some physical therapy, but there won't be any permanent impairment."

Sam relaxed in relief. "He went through so much, Dad. You should have seen what he did. He saved my life more than once. If he hadn't been with me, I really don't think I would have made it."

"Oh, I'm not so sure of that, Sam, but, even so, I do owe him a big debt of gratitude." Jacob sighed. "I hate to have to tell you this now, but I may not be able to come around very much for the next little while."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Things kind of got screwed up while you and Daniel were out there. The alliance is in trouble."

"I don't understand."

"You don't need to know the details right now. Let's just say we're going our separate ways for a while. If I stay with the Tok'ra, I can at least try to mend some fences."

Sam was starting to get upset. Her dad was leaving? "Are you sure?" she asked, wishing he'd choose to stay.

"I'm not ready to give up on this just yet."

"You're leaving now?" Sam asked trying not to cry.

"No, I'll be here for a while yet. I got permission from the High Council to stay until tomorrow afternoon. There are some things I need to discuss with Daniel. We're still going to be listening to any talk about Dan'yar, and if we hear something important, we will let you know. That's one thing I absolutely insisted on. After all, even if the alliance is on hold right now, it's still in everyone's best interested to keep Daniel safe from the Goa'uld."

Seeing his daughter's eyelids getting heavy, he smiled down at her. "Get some more sleep, Sammie. We'll talk again later." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and watched her as she fell asleep. Then he stood and left the infirmary.

--------------------------------------------------

Was it possible for every muscle and joint in your entire body to hurt all at the same time? That's the question that came to Daniel's mind as he awakened. Unfortunately, the answer was yes, or at least that's what it felt like to him.

Daniel's eyes cracked open to see Jack sitting beside him.

"Ah. Awake at last, I see," the grey-haired man said.

"Unfortunately," was Daniel's reply.

"A little sore, eh?"

"Just a bit."

"I guess that's not surprising considering what you went through. You know, I think the Energizer Bunny could take lessons from you. You just keep going, and going, and going, regardless of how beat up you are."

"Well, I think this Energizer Bunny's batteries finally ran out of juice, because I don't plan on going _anywhere_ for a while."

"Which will please the doc to no end," Jack said. "Being unconscious, you've missed most of her ranting about your self-abuse."

"Oh, I heard plenty of it when I was first brought in and run through all of her tests, which I swear get more numerous every time I'm here." Daniel looked over at Sam. "How's she doing?"

"Good. She woke up for a while a few hours ago. Jacob told her about the situation with the alliance. Speaking of the alliance, I heard about you going A.M.A. to the meeting and scaring the pants off Jacob and the general when you fell flat on your face in a dead faint after it was over."

"I didn't fall on my face. And, yes, it was against medical advice, but I had to be there, Jack."

"I know, Daniel. I also know that you made some valid points in your argument, though it ended up not doing any good with the Tok'ra. And I know that the only reason the Jaffa aren't dropping out of the alliance, too, is because of you. The truth is that, in some ways, I think we're better off without the Tok'ra. They've always taken more than they've given in this alliance."

"We couldn't have developed that weapon without them, Jack."

"That may be so, but it's one of the few times that _they_ helped _us_ rather than the other way around. And every time they _did_ ask for help, it turned into a disaster. Seth, Netu, those superman armbands, the space mines, the Goa'uld summit. Any of those things ring a bell?"

"The Reetou, you and Teal'c floating helplessly in space in the X-301, _all_ of us floating helplessly in space after stopping that meteor . . . coming to my bedside to heal me when I was dying. Any of _those_ things ring a bell?" Daniel countered. "There have been plenty of times when they've come to help us."

"And who was it coming to help most of those times, Daniel? Jacob, whom I consider to still be one of us, even if he does have a snake in his head."

"The point is, Jack, that the alliance helped both of us, and we each gained valuable information from the other about the Goa'uld. We're not going to have that source of information now."

"We'll do all right. I'd rather have the rebel Jaffa working side-by-side with us than the Tok'ra, and, thanks to you, we'll still have that."

Daniel didn't respond. He understood why Jack felt as he did. The rebel Jaffa were warriors who quickly leapt into battle, whereas the Tok'ra preferred to hide in the shadows and wage their war through subterfuge and espionage. Jack was never big on subterfuge, and he had always taken a dim view of the Tok'ra and their attitude. Thinking about that. . . .

"I do have to admit that there is _one_ good thing about the end of the Earth/Tok'ra alliance," Daniel said.

"What's that?"

"Chances are that we'll never have to see Anise again."

Jack grinned. "And that alone is reason for a _huge_ celebration. If you and Carter weren't stuck in here, I'd invite you over for pizza and beer."

Daniel didn't look so happy. "Jack, you're forgetting that, now that we're no longer in an alliance with the Tok'ra, Sam will be virtually cut off from her father. How long is it going to be before she sees him again?"

"I didn't forget, Daniel. I talked with Jacob, and, even though he'll be staying with the Tok'ra for now, he's going to try keeping a line of communication open between us. They're not going to completely cut off all contact with us. He's still here, actually. He wants to talk with you about this Dan'yar business. He convinced the High Council that they need to keep us informed on anything regarding you."

"Well, at least that's something."

Jack glanced over his shoulder. "Ah, here comes the pint-size power monger now."

The "pint-size power monger", also known as Janet Fraiser, came up to the bed. "Hello, Daniel. I'm glad to see that you've rejoined the realm of the conscious. Now you can hear me tell you 'I told you so'."

A smirk on his face, Jack stood up. "I'll see you later, Daniel, after the doc here chews you a new one."

"Hey, whatever happened to all for one and one for all?" Daniel called after him, ticked off that Jack wasn't staying to back him up.

"Ask the three musketeers!" Jack called back, disappearing through the doorway.

With a sigh, Daniel turned back to Janet, preparing to face her wrath. The woman crossed her arms over her chest.

"So, I'm assuming that you already know you're in trouble?" she asked.

"Yes, I already figured that out."

"And I'm assuming that you also know that, regardless of all your powers, you're not Superman and can't ignore the danger signals your body is sending you and keep pushing yourself into a complete physical collapse."

"Yes, I know that, too."

"Good." Janet picked up his chart and started looking through it, making notations.

After a moment of waiting for her to continue her lecture, Daniel finally broke the silence. "That's it? That's all you're going to say?"

Janet looked at him. "Why should I waste my breath with anything more? No matter what I tell you, the next time you're in this kind of situation, you're just going to do the same thing."

"Janet, what choice did I have? Sam and I were running for our lives from that thing. What was I supposed to do? Ask for a timeout? I did what I had to do to keep me and Sam alive."

Janet laid down the chart. "I know, Daniel. I know what you went through out there, though not the full story. You and Sam are lucky to be alive. I also know that this didn't happen through any fault of your own. And I am very well aware of how many lives you saved yesterday."

"Then what are we talking about here? The fact that I went to that meeting? Okay, I know that I wasn't physically well enough to go, but I felt that I had to be there, that I couldn't just lay here in bed and not say anything while the alliance crumbled." Daniel sighed. "As it turned out, my presence did absolutely no good anyway, so I might as well have stayed in bed."

"That isn't what I heard. From what I understand, you gave the Tok'ra some food for thought. You never know what that might result in."

Daniel didn't respond. He didn't want to get his hopes up about the Tok'ra coming back into the alliance.

Janet left a short while later, after ordering an increase in Daniel's pain medication upon seeing that he was in considerable discomfort.

It was about an hour later that Jacob showed up. Seeing that Sam was still asleep, he went straight to Daniel's bed.

"Hey, there. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"All right. Janet's got me on enough painkillers to dope up a horse."

The Tok'ra chuckled. "Well, I got a brief look at your collection of 'war wounds', Daniel, and it's quite impressive, and that's only what's on your _upper_ body. I won't ask what cuts and bruises you have on the rest of you."

"Please don't. I prefer not to think about it."

Jacob's suddenly serious eyes met Daniel's. "I want to thank you for my daughter's life, Daniel . . . again. That debt I owe you is getting bigger by the week."

"Like I said before, Jacob, you don't owe me a thing."

"Nevertheless, I pay my debts." Jacob settled in the chair that was beside the bed. "Sam told me about what you said to her, that you told her you're in love with her." His voice was pitched low so that no one would overhear.

Daniel's gaze immediately fell to the bed, both embarrassed and nervous that Sam's father knew about his confession.

"I want you to know, Daniel, that there is no one else in the world that I'd rather have be with my little girl."

Shocked, Daniel jerked his eyes up to Jacob's. "What?"

"Daniel, there is no man that I could trust more to be good to Sam and bring her the happiness she deserves. You're well-educated, intelligent, a true gentleman and everything I ever envisioned my daughter ending up with. On top of that, you are a good friend to her. I know that you would be happy together."

"I . . . thank, you, Jacob. It means a lot to know that I, um . . . have your blessing." Daniel's gaze returned to the bedcovers. "I just wish you had something to bless," he said in a very quiet, sad voice. "Sam doesn't . . . care about me like that."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Sam's father said. The archeologist looked at him. "I think that Sam's just a little confused about her feelings right now. My daughter has had her share of boyfriends, but she has never truly known what it is like to love someone in the way that I loved her mother and in the way that I believe you loved your wife, and, I _hope_, the way you love Sam."

"But . . . but what about Jonas Hanson? She was engaged to him."

Jacob shook his head. "I never approved of Jonas. I knew from the start that he wasn't the kind of person Sam believed him to be. Sam was very young and inexperienced, and Jonas was handsome, charming and charismatic. I don't think she was ever truly in love with him, though she may have thought she was. He was the wrong man for her, just as Jack is."

Daniel's eyes widened. "You knew about that?"

"Yes, I knew, for quite a while now. I never talked to Sam about it because I kept hoping she'd get over it and start looking in another direction, namely, at you. I'm very happy that's finally happening."

"Jacob, Sam just wants to be friends. She told me so. I--" Daniel broke off abruptly as his emotions started getting the better of him. He looked away, regaining control with an effort. After a moment, he felt a hand laid upon his forearm.

"Daniel, listen to me. You are a fighter. In all these years I've known you, you've never quit. Don't change that now. Don't give up. I know my daughter pretty well, and I think I'm safe in saying that, given time, Sam will realize that she loves you the same way you love her."

Daniel remained silent. He wanted to believe that Jacob was right, but he was afraid to do so. His heart had already been broken once by Sam. He didn't know if he could survive a second time.

Jacob patted his arm. "I need to get going soon, although I hope that Sam will wake up before I do. Before I go, I wanted to let you know that we're still going to be keeping our ears open for anything about you. If something comes up, we'll be sure to let you know."

"Thanks, Jacob. Jack already told me."

The Tok'ra stood. "I don't know how long it's going to be, but I'll be seeing you again." He leaned over close to Daniel's ear. "And I expect you to inform me in plenty enough time to attend the wedding, Mister."

Ignoring the blush on Daniel's face, Jacob gave him a smile and left the infirmary, stopping by Sam's bed to place a kiss on her forehead.

Daniel turned on his right side so that he could watch Sam sleep. He was still in that position several minutes later when he slowly drifted off into dreams about her and a life together with her.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I would like to give credit to Carmen Argenziano (Jacob Carter), whose words from a recent interview I used in this chapter. In that interview, he was asked who he could see as a good match for Jacob's daughter, and this was his reply: "I like Daniel Jackson. I felt that Daniel would have been the right choice because Daniel is well educated, is intelligent, gentlemanly and he was everything that I envisioned that my daughter would end up with."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was two days before Janet agreed to allow Daniel and Sam to attend a debriefing for the events at the Alpha Site. They were brought to the briefing room in wheelchairs, despite the fact that both of them had let the doctor know that they weren't happy about it.

Daniel's narration of the events at the Alpha Site was delivered in a matter of fact way, as if he was discussing an ordinary mission. Even so, it still left everyone amazed at what he'd done.

"Okay, let me get this straight," Jack said at one point. "You _deliberately_ stood in the path of that Al'Kesh?"

"Well, no. I didn't put myself in its path on purpose," Daniel replied. "It just turned out that it headed right toward me."

"And it didn't occur to you to move?"

"I was kind of busy, Jack. I needed to keep my attention on detonating those bombs. If I'd divided my attention between that and getting out of the way, one might have gotten through."

"So, you just stood there."

"Yes."

"As bombs were dropped right at you."

"Yes, I think we established that already, Jack."

Jack was silent for a moment. "Daniel, if, God forbid, anything like this ever happens again, I want you to remember just one word."

"What's that?"

"Run!"

Daniel sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Please continue, Doctor Jackson," General Hammond said.

The archeologist went on to recount the things that led up to him being wounded. After that, he got to the part about the Jaffa who attacked the drones. Daniel did not tell them that the Jaffa deliberately gave their lives for him. That was something he simply could not talk about in front of everyone, though Sam already knew. In fact, the look she gave him told Daniel that she understood why he had left that part out.

Daniel and Sam shared the job of recounting what happened during the long hours that they were on the run from the drone. They both fell silent as they reached the point where Daniel killed it. Sam looked at the linguist, her eyes questioning if he wanted her to be the one to tell what happened. He gave his head a slight shake.

"We were at the river only a few minutes when the drone suddenly showed up, taking us by surprise," Daniel said, the strain in his voice increasing. "It started firing upon us. Sam was hit, and. . . ." He halted, eyes staring fiercely at the tabletop.

"Take your time, Son," the general said quietly.

"I, um, knew that I couldn't destroy the armor. It would take too much power. So, I . . . I attacked the drone itself." He stopped again. He felt Sam's hand rest upon his arm in silent support. "I . . . burned it." Daniel drew in a deep, unsteady breath, his gaze still on the table.

There was a brief moment of silence, then General Hammond spoke in a gentle tone. "I can understand how you feel about this, Doctor Jackson. War can be a terrible, ugly thing, and we sometimes have to do things that we despise, things that can even make us ill. But you were faced with a situation where you had to act quickly to save yours and Major Carter's lives. You couldn't stop to ponder on what was morally acceptable."

"Yes, sir," Daniel murmured, wishing that he could be someplace by himself right now.

Sam took over the narration from there. A few minutes later, the debriefing came to an end. Hammond told them to have their reports to him by the next morning.

"Before you leave, there is something I wish to add," the general said. "As of today, eleven SGC personnel who were at the Alpha Site are either confirmed dead or still MIA. Considering how many people were at the base and the severity of the attack, it is extraordinary that we lost so few." He looked at Daniel. "There is no doubt in anyone's mind who we have to thank for that. The president sends his personal thanks to you, Doctor Jackson. You will be receiving a commendation from him, which will be placed in your record. If you were in the military, there is no doubt that you would be receiving a medal for your courageous actions."

Embarrassed, Daniel had ducked his head at the beginning of the general's praise. He lifted it to meet the man's eyes. "Thank you, sir." He did not say that he really didn't think he deserved a commendation for what he did.

The nurses who had brought Daniel and Sam to the debriefing returned to take them back to the infirmary. Jack accompanied them onto the elevator. When the door opened at the floor the infirmary was on, Jack stopped the nurse from taking Daniel.

"I'll take him," Jack said. "Tell the doc that I'll have him back into her tender loving care in a little while."

"Jack, I'd really rather go back to the infirmary," Daniel said.

"Patience, Daniel. You'll be back in your nice, cozy bed well before they serve lunch. I know how you love that Jell-O."

Sam gave Daniel a sympathetic look as she was wheeled off the elevator. Jack pushed the button for Level 25. As they headed back down, neither man spoke. Once they reached the level, Jack took Daniel to one of the VIP rooms. He pushed the wheelchair up to the bed and sat beside it.

"Jack, if this is about the Al'Kesh--"

"It's not about the Al'Kesh, Daniel."

The softness of Jack's voice surprised the archeologist. "Then what?"

"Would you like to talk about what happened with the drone?"

Daniel's gaze instantly dropped to the floor. "Not really."

"General Hammond was right, Daniel. You had to act and act fast. There was no time for you to weigh what was right and wrong. That thing was going to kill you and Carter. It had been hunting you for hours and wasn't going to give up till you were both dead."

"You don't understand," Daniel muttered.

"Don't I? Daniel, I was in Black Ops. I think you know what kinds of things they do. I have done a lot of stuff that I am not proud of, stuff that most people would call immoral. But I did it because it was believed to be necessary. What you did was necessary."

"No. No, it wasn't."

"So, what could you have done instead? Sent it flying into the trees again? It would have just come right back. You and Carter weren't going to be safe until it was dead. You made the decision to eliminate the threat, just like you should have."

Daniel's head shot up, blue eyes boring into Jack's. "You don't understand!" he cried. "I did it because it hurt Sam!"

If silence really could be deafening, that's how the absolute absence of noise that followed would have been described. Daniel's head had dropped into his hands, palms pressed into his eyes.

"When I heard Sam cry out, it scared me," he said after several seconds had passed, "and it made me angry. All I could think about was killing it so that it couldn't hurt her anymore. I really didn't even think about what I was doing to it. I just . . . reacted. It wasn't until afterwards that it hit me what I had done. God, what kind of monster am I?"

Jack leaned forward. "Hey," he said sharply. "Let's get one thing straight. You are _not_ a monster, not even close. In fact, you're just about as far away from being a monster as anyone can be. But you're also not a saint, Daniel. Okay, so what you did might not have been a very nice thing to do, and it's probably going to give you nightmares for a while, but you did it out of love, and there isn't a better reason than that to do something."

"I'm just ashamed of myself, Jack. I thought I was better than that. I know that I've deliberately killed with these abilities before. I've destroyed three Al'Kesh! It's just the way I did it. I could have tried to . . . to break its neck or something. Something quick and-and painless. Not . . . that."

"Daniel, did you have time to think about how you were going to kill it?"

"No, not really," Daniel admitted.

"Like I said before, you had to act fast, and your instincts took over. What you have to remember is that drone was created for one purpose, and that was to kill and destroy. It wouldn't have hesitated to torture and kill you and Carter, if that's what Anubis told it to do."

"I know that, Jack, but it still doesn't make what I did any less horrible."

"Maybe not, but tell me this. What's more important, you killing that thing in a humane way or you making sure that Carter was safe? I can tell you what _I_ think is more important."

Daniel didn't say anything. The answer was pretty obvious. Sam's safety would always come first.

"You saved both Carter's life and your own. Nothing else is more important than that," Jack concluded.

The colonel took Daniel back to the infirmary. He didn't hang around, saying that he had things to do.

Sam studied the archeologist's expression, seeing the deep frown there.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "The colonel didn't get on your case about not running for cover, did he?"

"No, it wasn't about that. It was about what I did to the drone."

"Oh. Daniel, I know what you did really bothers you. It would probably bother me, too, if I was in your place, but--"

"It's okay, Sam," Daniel interrupted. He looked at her. "Jack made one very good point that I can't deny. What I did to that drone might have been horrible, but if it came to choosing between killing it in a way that was more humane and making sure you were safe, I know what would be more important, what would matter most. What really matters is that you're okay."

Sam looked into his eyes. "What really matters is that we're _both_ okay, Daniel."

Both of them feeling tired and sore, the two friends laid down facing each other. The last thing they saw as they closed their eyes was the face of someone they loved.

--------------------------------------------------

It had been a week since the atttack. The search for a new location for the Alpha Site was well underway. Like before, a Stargate would be transported by ship to a world that previously didn't have a gate, making it an entirely new address, which would greatly reduce the chance that a Goa'uld would come for a visit. Unfortunately, since they no longer had the Tok'ra to give them information on possible planets, the search was going to take a great deal longer. When Daniel suggested that the Asgard might be able to help out, a call went out to them. In the meantime, the Beta Site would take the place of the Alpha Site, though it wasn't as secure.

Daniel and Sam had been released from the infirmary today, which delighted both of them. Daniel had kept his word to Janet and not pleaded even once to be allowed out of the infirmary ahead of schedule, but that didn't mean that he'd enjoyed his time there.

He was presently on his way to Teal'c's quarters. There was something he had been wanting to talk to the Jaffa about, but it was something that needed complete privacy.

Upon knocking on Teal'c's door, he received permission to come in.

"Daniel Jackson. It is good to see you out of the infirmary," the Jaffa said from his seat on the floor.

"It feels good to be out of there. Um . . . Teal'c, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Regarding what matter?"

Daniel closed the door and sat in a chair. Teal'c got up from the floor and settled on the edge of the bed, facing the archeologist.

"It's . . . about what happened at the Alpha Site," Daniel explained, "something that I didn't include in the debriefing or my written report. I know that Sam didn't put it in her report either." His gaze dropped to the floor. "It's about the seven Jaffa who attacked the drone that was shooting at me, Sam and Jacob, the drone that wounded me."

Teal'c nodded. "You struck at the drone with your power to attempt to stop it."

"But it only stopped it for a few seconds, then another drone showed up. We had to run." Daniel met Teal'c's eyes. "What I didn't say before was that those seven Jaffa deliberately sacrificed their lives for me. They _died_ for me, Teal'c." The last sentence held all the guilt and grief that he'd been feeling since it happened.

"And you wish to know why," Teal'c guessed.

"Yes! Why did they do that, Teal'c? Why did they stand there and-and-and let themselves be killed? I begged them to come with us, to run, but they wouldn't go. They said that . . . that they'd pledged their lives to saving mine." Daniel jumped to his feet and strode away a couple of paces, arms wrapped around himself. "God, Teal'c. I didn't want that." His voice dropped to a distraught whisper as his head bowed. "I didn't want anyone to die for me."

Teal'c rose to his feet and took a step toward Daniel. "Many times you have made the decision to risk your life, to _give_ your life for another. For what reason did you do that?"

Daniel's head lifted, but he did not turn back around. "Because I thought it was the right thing to do, because I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."

"Then you already have your answer, Daniel Jackson. Those Jaffa believed that giving their lives for yours was the right thing to do. They valued your life more than their own, and they knew that they could not let you die if it was within their power to save you."

"Why didn't they come with us? We could have escaped together."

"If they had come with you, would the drones not have immediately followed?"

"Yes, I guess so."

"But, instead, they were delayed by the Jaffa, giving you those precious seconds you needed to get away. It is for that reason that the Jaffa stayed, to delay the drones for however long they could, just as _you_ stayed at the Alpha Site to give everyone there time to escape."

Daniel didn't speak for several seconds. "Do you know who they were? Do you know their names?"

"It would be possible for me to learn."

Daniel nodded slightly. "I'd, um, like to . . . to honor them in some way." He finally turned around and met Teal'c's gaze. The Jaffa could see tears in his eyes. "Could you help me with that?"

Teal'c came up to his friend, placing a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I would be honored to help you in that way, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel swallowed tightly and wiped a finger over his eyes before the tears there could fall. He then cleared his throat and wandered off to examine something on the nightstand.

"I've never asked you what you think about all of this, this whole thing about 'Dan'yar'," he said.

"Do you wish to know my thoughts?"

Daniel put down the object in his hand and looked at the Jaffa. "Yes, I guess I do."

"In these years that we have been friends and teammates, I have come to know you. In the beginning, there was much about you that I did not understand. You were unlike anyone I had ever known. But, even then, I knew that you were a man of honor and integrity. That became clear to me the day you chose to give me forgiveness for my part in what became of your wife. In the time that has passed since then, you have changed greatly. You are now not only a man of great learning but also a mighty warrior. When you gained these abilities you now have, I knew that you would use them wisely and in a way that would help defeat the Goa'uld, but I did not realize how greatly they would shape you, how, in gaining this power, you would also gain a new depth to your soul."

Daniel shook his head in denial. "I haven't changed, Teal'c."

"Indeed you have, Daniel Jackson. It is not always evident, but it is there. You have become a leader."

"What? Teal'c, I have no idea what you're talking about."

The Jaffa smiled slightly. "Perhaps you do not. I think that you are not entirely aware of the strength within you. I have spoken to many of the Jaffa who were at the Alpha Site, and I have heard what the SGC personnel who were there have said. And what they saw was a leader."

"Teal'c, I didn't lead anyone."

"To be a leader does not simply mean to be someone who leads others. I have studied your dictionary at length and have learned the meanings of many words." Teal'c fetched a book and handed it to Daniel. "Tell me what it says the word 'leader' means."

Frowning, Daniel looked up "leader" in the dictionary, though he already knew what the word meant.

"'A person who directs a military force or unit,'" he quoted. "'A person who has commanding authority or influence. The--'" He halted when Teal'c placed his hand over the page. Daniel looked at him. "Teal'c, you've got to be joking. I don't have commanding authority or influence. Jack has that. _You_ have that. You both tell people to do something, and they do it, at least most of the time. Me, I have to talk people into doing things. I have to reason with them, and cajole, and, sometimes, downright beg. Yes, I did have some authority on some of the digs I've been on, and, yes, I am the head of the Archeology and Linguistics Departments, but that's entirely different. There is nothing commanding about me at all."

"Yet the fact remains that those who were at the Alpha Site saw in you a leader."

Seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere, Daniel gave up arguing. "Okay, so what does this have to do with what you think about the whole Dan'yar business?"

"Many of the rebel Jaffa have come to look upon you as the embodiment of all the Jaffa would have wanted the Goa'uld to be as their gods. In all the ways that the Goa'uld fall short of that image, you do not. For thousands of years, the Jaffa were led to believe that the Goa'uld were gods of great and magical power, all-powerful and all-knowing. We now know that their power comes from their technology and is merely a thing of science. The power _you_ possess comes from your own mind and can truly be looked upon as magical in many ways. The Goa'uld are cruel masters who have no respect for those who serve them, whereas _you_ show kindness and consideration to all and give the Jaffa your respect, treating them as equals. When their lives are threatened, the Goa'uld take the first opportunity to flee, using their Jaffa and human slaves as a shield to protect them. _You_ step forward and give your own life so that others might live. Because of these things, as much as they now despise the Goa'uld, they revere you. It is true that you are neither all-powerful nor all-knowing, but this matters not to the Jaffa. You have become a powerful symbol to them, one that encourages them in their quest to gain freedom from the Goa'uld and gives them greater hope and confidence that they will succeed. Before this happened, the rebel Jaffa were greatly motivated in our cause, but, now, that motivation is becoming zealotry. In the weeks that have passed since word of you began spreading, more Jaffa have joined the rebellion than all of the previous seven years combined. We are becoming a mighty army."

Teal'c looked intently into Daniel's eyes. "The Daniel Jackson I knew in past years was a man of great strength, but he could not have accepted the responsibilities that the role he now has among the Jaffa would require of him. The Daniel Jackson who stands before me today can. The strength of your will and your determination has grown in these months since the discovery of your power. As I said before, though you have not yet led, you have become a leader."

Daniel stared at Teal'c, open-mouthed. "Teal'c you can't possibly mean that you agree with all this. You _know_ me. You've seen me in the worst possible situations. How can you buy into all this stuff about me being some great and powerful demigod?!"

"I do not."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I know that you are not a god, nor even a demigod. I know that you are still the mortal man that you have always been, one who has his weaknesses, fears and faults. The other Jaffa know this as well. What I am saying to you is that you _are_ the embodiment of all the Jaffa would have wanted the Goa'uld to be as their gods. You possess the power, courage and integrity that would have made the Goa'uld worthy of our complete allegiance. In that way, the image the Jaffa have of you is not in error, and, if the day comes that you must lead the Jaffa into battle against the Goa'uld, I have every confidence that you will do so with skill and courage."

"Well, I can't tell you how much I hope that never becomes necessary, Teal'c."

"But, if it does, Daniel Jackson, I will be there with the rest of my brothers, following you into victory against the Goa'uld."

Daniel was so deep in thought after he left Teal'c's that he wasn't really paying attention to where he was going and ended up bumping into Colonel Bray, a short-tempered, ill-mannered marine who'd never had much patience for scientists and academics.

"Hey, watch where you're going, you clum. . . ." The man's voice faded off as he saw who it was that had bumped into him. His entire demeanor changed, as if it was General Hammond standing before him instead of Daniel. "Doctor Jackson! My apologies, sir. I didn't see that it was you."

Daniel's mouth fell open in shock. "Um . . . that's okay. No harm done."

Bray nodded sharply. "Have a good day, sir," he said, then continued on his way.

Daniel stood staring after him, his mouth still hanging open. What in the heck had that been all about?

Totally perplexed, Daniel continued to his office. He was just stepping through the doorway when the klaxons started sounding, followed by the announcement of an unscheduled off-world activation. The archeologist let out a sigh. He was tempted just to ignore the alert, but he had a feeling that this had something to do with him.

Turning around, Daniel headed to the control room. He arrived at the same time Jack did, which was just in time to see Bra'tac appear through the gate.

"Welcome, Master Bra'tac," General Hammond said into the microphone. He asked Bra'tac to come upstairs.

When the Jaffa saw Daniel, a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "Daniel Jackson. It is good to see you well. I heard of the ordeal that you and Major Carter suffered." He gestured at Daniel's arm, which was still in a sling. "How serious is your injury?"

"It's going to take a few weeks to completely heal, but I'll be fine. It could have been a lot worse."

Bra'tac's expression had turned troubled. "I fear that I have come with some serious news. Something has happened that could threaten the alliance between the Tau'ri and the Jaffa." He looked at Daniel. "And you are the only one who can stop it."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

"_Now_ what's happened?" Jack asked, wondering if they'd ever get more than a week or two of peace.

"It is a matter concerning Daniel Jackson and the Jaffa," Bra'tac replied. "Teal'c will want to know of this."

Teal'c was called to the briefing room. After greeting his old teacher, he sat down with everyone else at the table.

"First, I must say, Daniel Jackson, that, those months ago, when you first revealed your power to the rebel Jaffa at my insistence, I did not realize what would become of it," Bra'tac said. "I merely intended for the demonstration of your power to lift the spirits of the Jaffa who were beginning to doubt our ability to defeat the Goa'uld. Instead, it has ignited the will of my people like nothing before ever has. Word of you is on the tongue of every Jaffa, both those in the rebellion and those who still serve the Goa'uld. By now, you must know what happened to the Goa'uld Aker. I believe that he was only the first to suffer such a fate. Many of the Jaffa in the service of the System Lords mutter angrily about their masters. Some have been executed for disobedience, which is causing the anger to grow even more. More uprisings are in the wind, and the Goa'uld begin to tremble in fear. They are losing control of the Jaffa, and, without us to fight for them, they will lose their power."

"Which is a good thing, right?" Jack asked, thinking how sweet it would be if Daniel ended up being the catalyst for the destruction of the Goa'uld.

"In some ways, yes. Uniting the Jaffa against the Goa'uld is what we have been fighting for all these years. But we believed that such a thing would come when all Jaffa realized that the Goa'uld are not gods and rose against them with the determination to be free and to be their own masters."

"Instead, they're doing it because of me," Daniel said.

Bra'tac nodded. "Many still rebel because of their wish for freedom, but many others do so because what they have heard about you drives them to hate their Goa'uld masters. They still long for freedom, but you are the power behind their determination to no longer be slaves to the Goa'uld."

"But if it ends up resulting in the same thing, namely, bringing down the Goa'uld, does it really matter that much?" Jack asked. "I know that, after it's all over, the Jaffa will have to get past this thing about Daniel, but I'm sure that will happen eventually. I mean, it's not like Daniel plans on setting himself up as their new god."

"The problem, Jack, is that it's a house of cards," Daniel replied. "When a culture builds the foundation of their ideology upon a single individual or object, if something happens to that person or thing, the foundation often crumbles."

Bra'tac gave another nod. "If Daniel Jackson were to die in battle, I believe that the Jaffa would continue to rebel in honor of him. But if something happened to make them question their belief in him, it could do great damage."

"And has something like that happened?" Jack asked, getting a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Not yet, but a threat has arisen. There is a Jaffa named Har'tec. Since turning against his master over a year ago, he has become very influential and greatly respected by the rebel Jaffa."

"I know of Har'tec," Teal'c said. "I have heard much about him."

Bra'tac looked at Daniel. "Har'tec is greatly displeased by the belief the Jaffa have in you. He feels that the reverence they feel for you is misplaced."

"Well, he's right," Daniel responded. "This whole thing is ridiculous. Maybe _he_ can talk some sense into them. Nothing _I've_ tried has worked."

"If Har'tec merely wished to 'talk some sense' into them, there would be no need for concern, but he is seeking more than that. He wishes to utterly destroy the image of you that they have in their minds. If such a thing happens, many of those who have joined the rebellion because of you may lose heart."

"So, what am I supposed to do about this?" Daniel asked. "I'm not going to stand before the Jaffa and tell them that, yes, I'm everything they believe me to be. I just can't do that."

"You must speak with Har'tec, show him that you are not seeking a place of power among the Jaffa. If he realizes this, he may cease his actions."

"Okay, so do you know where this guy is?" Jack asked.

"Yes. He recently arrived on Albaren. There is a large gathering of rebel Jaffa there, and he hopes to convert them from their belief in Dan'yar."

"Okay, so we'll just go there and have a little talk with him. Daniel will be his usual modest, self-effacing self and tell him that he doesn't want to be ruler of the Jaffa, and everything will be fine."

"That is what I intended," Bra'tac said. "But there is a problem."

"What's that?"

"Daniel Jackson's injuries may be a hindrance."

"Um . . . why?" Daniel asked. "Based on what the Jaffa I talked to said, they all know that I'm not immortal. Seeing my injuries shouldn't cause a problem. In fact, maybe it would be better if they _did_ see that I really am just human."

It was Teal'c who answered the question. "It is possible that, if you cannot reason with Har'tec, he will use your injuries as proof of his claims. He will say that you are weak and not worthy of the respect of the Jaffa."

"Then we'll just have to wait until Daniel is all healed," Jack concluded.

"In the weeks it would take for Daniel Jackson's injuries to completely heal, Har'tec could do much damage," Bra'tac stated. "He is very determined."

A concern entered General Hammond's mind. "Master Bra'tac, if Doctor Jackson did go to speak with Har'tec, is there some chance that his life would be at risk?"

"In other words, are the Jaffa there suddenly going to turn nasty and decide to do to Daniel what they did to Aker?" Jack asked.

Bra'tac shook his head. "I do not think that such a thing would happen."

"Well, since Daniel can't instantly heal himself, we're going to have to decide which is worse, waiting till he's healed or going there as he is now."

"There is another option," Daniel said thoughtfully. "Sam could try to heal me with the Goa'uld hand device."

Jack's expression made it clear what he thought about that idea. "Daniel, correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time Carter used that thing on you, it made you even worse."

The archeologist knew that Jack was referring to the time that Sam attempted to heal him when he was dying from the radiation poisoning. Her attempt had resulted in him going into convulsions.

"That was different, Jack. This is just a physical injury, like when Sam healed Cronus. And she also wouldn't be emotionally upset this time, which probably affected her ability to use the healing device properly before."

"I still don't like it."

"Yet it may be the only solution to this dilemma," Teal'c stated.

Daniel stood up. "I'll go talk to Sam." When he saw Jack, Bra'tac and Teal'c begin to rise, he added, "Alone."

Daniel went to Sam's lab. Because of her leg injury, Janet had wanted her to go home and take it easy for the next week or so, but Sam had talked the doctor into allowing her to work as long as she stayed off her feet as much as possible. Because of this, Sam spent much of her time sitting in her lab.

"Hey, Daniel," she greeted when he came in. "So, who dialed in?"

"Bra'tac. There's a bit of a problem."

Daniel sat down and explained the situation to Sam.

"The funny thing is that Dad and I had a discussion about this at the Alpha Site," the major said. "It was after one of the Tok'ra there said that this thing with you and the Jaffa was going to cause problems. So, what are you going to do?"

"The only thing I can do. I have to talk to Har'tec. But there's a problem. Bra'tac thinks that this," he pointed at the sling, "is going to give Har'tec ammunition against me, and he believes that waiting until I heal naturally is going to give the guy too much time to stir up trouble. So . . . I want you to heal me with the hand device."

Sam immediately shook her head. "No, Daniel. You know what happened the last time I used that thing. I'm just not proficient enough with it."

"That was different, Sam. I'm not suffering from massive organ and tissue damage caused by radiation poisoning. All you'd be doing is healing this shoulder wound. That's it. You did a lot more than that when you healed Cronus."

"I'd rather not take the chance."

Daniel leaned forward. "Sam, you know as well as anyone that I don't want any of this stuff that's between me and the Jaffa. But, now that it has happened, I can't let the rebellion be threatened because of a failure on my part. I need to talk to this man. I need to get everything straightened out."

Sam gazed into Daniel's earnest, pleading eyes and sighed. She always did have a hard time saying no to him.

"All right, but we're going to have to ask Janet's permission first."

Daniel gave her a smile. "Thanks, Sam."

Janet was no more thrilled about the idea than Sam was, but finally agreed to allow it.

With Jack, Teal'c, Bra'tac and General Hammond all gathered in the infirmary to watch, the doctor had Daniel lie down on a bed. Sam had retrieved the healing device and was nervously standing at the side of the bed.

"If you feel anything wrong, I want you to say something immediately," Janet instructed the archeologist. "And, Sam? If you start to feel that you really can't do this, just stop. Okay?"

"Okay."

Taking a deep breath, Sam extended the healing device over Daniel and closed her eyes. She made the mental connection to the device and attempted to make it do the thing for which it was created. After a few seconds, she began to sense that it was working. She could almost feel the damaged muscles and tissue in Daniel's shoulder begin to heal, become whole.

That's when something totally unexpected happened.

This being only his second experience with the healing device, Daniel didn't realize that anything was out of the ordinary when he began to actually sense the power of the device, feel it working upon his shoulder. But then, all of a sudden, it became a whole lot more as Daniel's mind unexpectedly forged a connection with the device. In the next instant, the connection expanded further, traveling through the link the device had with Sam's mind and joining their minds together through it. In the blink of an eye, he and Sam were one.

All at once, it was as if the two friends were merged with each other's bodies, aware of every muscle, every bone, everything. They could feel the pain and see the damage of each other's wounds, sense the fading ache of the many bruises covering their bodies, the lingering pain of torn and abused muscles.

As Sam sensed these things within Daniel, the healing device responded and began to heal them. It was nothing like what she had experienced when she healed Cronus. At that time, she had been simply an observer, seeing the injuries to the man's body. But she was not merely an observer this time. It was as if Daniel's body was _her_ body.

Sensing that Sam was healing his body, Daniel instinctively reached up and laid his hand over hers, coming in joint physical contact with the healing device. With that physical connection established, he turned the power of the device upon Sam.

Jack, Teal'c, Janet and the others had been watching for several seconds when, without warning, the soft glow of the healing device brightened dramatically, bathing Daniel's body in its golden light.

"Doc?" Jack enquired. "Is it supposed to do--"

He never finished his sentence, for, at that moment, Daniel's hand laid over Sam's. The golden nimbus of light instantly expanded outward to cover both of them. Alarmed, Jack immediately jumped forward to rip the device out of Sam's hand, but was stopped by a warning from Bra'tac.

"Do not touch them, O'Neill!" the Master Jaffa exclaimed.

Not sure what to do, Jack watched as the light spread over every inch of Daniel's and Sam's bodies. Their expressions were distant, as if they were both looking at something very far away. They did not appear to be in any pain or discomfort. Just the opposite, in fact.

For a timeless moment, everyone stood unmoving, transfixed by the sight before them. Then the light flickered and winked out. They all held their breath, watching as Sam and Daniel opened their eyes.

The two scientists looked at each other and said one word: "Wow."

"Wow? What wow? What happened?" Jack asked.

Two pairs of blue eyes turned to him.

"I'm not sure, sir," Sam replied. "Everything seemed to be working normally, then, all of a sudden. . . ."

Daniel continued Sam's sentence. "I somehow made a mental connection with the healing device, and. . . ."

"When he did, it created some kind of . . . of psychic connection between us. It was as if I was inside Daniel's body. . . ."

"And I was inside Sam's. I could feel all her injuries, where she was hurting. I tried to heal her. . . ."

"And I did the same."

Jack's gaze had been moving back and forth between the two of them like he was watching a tennis match.

"And?" he prompted when he saw that they were done finishing each other's sentences.

"And I think it worked, sir," Sam answered. "I feel great. There's no pain at all."

"Same with me," Daniel said.

Janet told Sam to lift the hem of her top. The doctor peeled off the bandage covering the wound in the major's side and found smooth, undamaged skin underneath. She did the same to Daniel's shoulder, finding that it was also completely healed. The bruises that were here and there on his upper body were gone, and Janet had no doubt that the same would be true for the rest of him. She was also sure that, if she examined Sam, she'd find not a mark on her.

"Doctor Fraiser, can you explain this?" General Hammond asked.

"Not really, sir. I know that the healing device, like the ribbon device, is controlled by the mind of the user, so there is a mental connection going on. But how Daniel tapped into that and expanded the field of the device so that it fully healed both of them is a mystery to me."

Daniel sat up, enjoying the fact that he could do so with no pain at all. "Um, I think I might have one possible explanation."

"Which is?" Jack asked.

"Well, we know that the Goa'uld sarcophagus was engineered from Ancient technology."

"The Telchak device," Sam said, nodding.

"Yeah. So, what about these things?" He pointed at the healing device. "Maybe they were created from Ancient technology, too. Now, the fact that I was able to remember what happened to Bra'tac and Rya'c on Erebus means that at least some of what I saw and experienced while I was ascended is still in my mind somewhere. What if some of the knowledge I'd gained about the Ancients is also in there?"

"So, you're saying that you subconsciously tapped into that knowledge, and it enabled you to link with the healing device?" Janet questioned.

"Well, either that or I've discovered yet another psychic ability. I think I'd prefer the other explanation."

Sam was looking down at the device, a little frown on her face. "It's dead," she said.

Jack looked at it. "Dead?"

Sam held it out and tried to activate it, but nothing happened. "I think it burned out. It wasn't designed to heal two people at the same time."

"Too bad. It would have come in handy the next time Daniel here plays Superman."

"Superman" subjected him to a glare.

"So, do you think this means that Daniel can operate any Goa'uld device that was engineered from Ancient technology?" Janet asked.

"I have no idea," Daniel answered. "Since we don't know which pieces of their technology originally came from the Ancients, it would be difficult to find out. I'm certainly not going to start experimenting." He looked at Bra'tac. "Well, Bra'tac, it seems that my physical injuries are no longer a problem."

"Indeed it does. We shall leave for Albaren tomorrow."

--------------------------------------------------

SG-1 and Bra'tac exited the Stargate on Albaren to the sight of two dozen Jaffa aiming staff weapons at them.

"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed, pointing his P-90 at them.

Seeing that they were not enemies, the Jaffa lowered their weapons. One of them came forward and greeted Bra'tac.

"Master Bra'tac," he said in welcome. He then clasped Teal'c's arm. "And you are Teal'c, sworn enemy of the Goa'uld. I am Ere'nor."

"Ere'nor, these are the Tau'ri known as SG-1," Bra'tac said gesturing toward Jack and Sam. "And this," he pointed at Daniel, "is Dan'yar."

Ere'nor's eyes widened, and he subjected Daniel to an intense gaze. Knowing that it was important for him to display an air of strength and confidence, the archeologist met his eyes unflinchingly.

"You are Dan'yar?" Ere'nor asked, a trace of doubt in his voice.

"Oh, you bet he is," Jack answered. "I know he may not look like a superhero at the moment, but you should see him when he's doing his thing. He can look downright scary."

The Jaffa looked Daniel over again. Since they didn't want him to be identified as a member of SG-1 or the SGC, the archeologist was not in military issue clothing. Instead, he was wearing the blue robes that he'd had on when he was found on Vis Uban. He had intended to wear his Abydonian robes, but Jack insisted that the blue ones were better because they looked more . . . regal. As another way to hide his true identity, he was also not wearing his glasses. If word got out that 'Dan'yar' wore glasses, it wouldn't take long for the Goa'uld who knew Daniel to begin to suspect him.

"If you are, indeed, Dan'yar, then this is a great honor," Ere'nor said. A look of understanding changed his expression. "You are here because of Har'tec."

"This is so," Teal'c confirmed. "Dan'yar has come to defend his honor against the untruthful things that Har'tec is saying about him."

Ere'nor nodded once. "I have heard the things that Har'tec is claiming. I do not believe him since I have spoken to other Jaffa who have personally seen Dan'yar in battle and know of his deeds, but there are others who are now beginning to doubt. There have been several arguments over this." He looked at Daniel. "It is good that you are here. Please come with me."

The Jaffa led SG-1 and Bra'tac to what looked like the remains of a small amphitheater, sort of a miniature version of the coliseum in Rome, except that it had a roof. Hundreds of Jaffa were there, most of them in the arena, though some were up in the seating area.

As the group made their way through the assembled Jaffa, they could hear the sound of two men arguing.

"This Dan'yar of yours is playing you for a fool," said one of the men. "He seeks to take the place of the Goa'uld, but he is no more a god than they are."

The other voice struck a familiar chord in Daniel. "Dan'yar has never claimed to be a god. I have spoken to him personally, and he forcefully denies all such beliefs. He is a man of integrity and honor. There is no deceit within him."

"Yet he would make himself a ruler among us."

"No, I wouldn't," Daniel said, stepping out into the clear.

The man whose voice Daniel had recognized smiled and came forward, grasping Daniel's arm in the traditional Jaffa greeting.

"Dan'yar! It is good to see you well."

"You, too, Ka'ter. I was worried that you might have died at the Alpha Site."

"It is most likely that I would have if not for you. Only a small number of Jaffa perished that day, and it is thanks to you that it is so."

Daniel looked at the other Jaffa. The man, who was a good three inches taller than Daniel, had the appearance of someone of Egyptian descent, except for his eyes, which were pale grey and stood out starkly in the swarthiness of his complexion. Those eyes were looking at him coldly.

"You are Dan'yar?" he asked, his voice as cold as his eyes.

"Yes," Daniel replied.

The archeologist could sense a change in the air around him as the nearby Jaffa reacted to his presence. Expanding out from his location, word of his arrival quickly spread throughout the amphitheater. Many crowded in closer to see him.

The Jaffa, whom Daniel assumed was Har'tec, raked his eyes over Daniel from head to toe. "You do not look like the mighty, godlike warrior many claim you to be," he said derisively. "You look like an ordinary man to me."

"What were you expecting? I'm human, not a ten-foot tall giant. I never claimed to be anything _but_ human."

"Human." Har'tec pulled a dagger from his waistband and stepped toward Daniel. "Then if I was to plunge this into your heart, you would die?"

Jack's, Sam's and Teal'c's weapons were immediately pointed at the man.

"Hey!" Jack barked. "I'd put that down, if I were you."

Daniel held up his hand. "It's okay, Jack. He has no intention of using it." He turned his full attention back on Har'tec. "To answer your question, yes, if you stabbed me in the heart, I would die. I'm just as mortal as you are."

"Yeah, if you don't count all the times you've died and not _stayed_ dead," Jack muttered.

"Then where is your power if I could so easily kill you?" Har'tec asked scathingly.

A moment later, he cried out in surprise and pain and dropped the knife. He watched as it glowed red-hot, then white-hot, then melted into a puddle.

"I didn't say it would be _easy_," Daniel remarked mildly.

"Sweet," Jack said under his breath. He glanced at Teal'c and Bra'tac, who were both wearing slightly smug expressions. Sam looked amused.

"So, this, then, is your power," Har'tec said. "I have heard many speak of it, how they witnessed great feats performed by you, fire coming from nothing, ships destroyed, men and objects thrown through the air. Mighty powers indeed, if they are real."

"You doubt the word of those who witnessed these things?" Ka'ter asked angrily. "You doubt _my_ word?"

"I only doubt the origin of what your eyes saw."

"Let me guess," Daniel said. "You think it's a trick."

"Prove that it is not."

Daniel sighed. "I already did, in front of about fifty Jaffa. Since they're the ones who must have spread the word about me in the first place, I should imagine that they included that information."

"Indeed they did," Ka'ter confirmed.

"Then I shouldn't have to do it again." Daniel stared at Har'tec. "Don't you trust the word of those Jaffa?"

"I wish to see proof for myself."

Daniel was starting to get a little pissed off at the guy's attitude. "Fine," he almost growled.

Grabbing the cloth of his robe, Daniel lifted it up over his head. Underneath, he was wearing a black muscle shirt and matching jeans.

Daniel tossed the robe to Teal'c, who caught it. "If you or someone else here wants to search me to see if I'm concealing anything, go ahead, but I'm not taking off any more clothes than that."

_'Too bad,'_ thought Sam. She immediately chastised herself. This was not the time to be thinking stuff like that.

Har'tec came forward again and very thoroughly searched Daniel for hidden devices. He stepped back when he was done.

"Find anything?" Daniel asked, that irritated tone to his voice that all his teammates recognized.

"No," the Jaffa replied.

"Good. Now, I think you might want to stand back," Daniel glanced around, "all of you."

Immediately, everyone moved back, leaving an empty area around forty feet in diameter, Daniel at its center.

Thinking that he was going to have to make sure Janet never found out about this, Daniel tapped into his power. A ring of fire leapt up around him, rising to the height of his chest. The fire spread outward, becoming an impassable wall of flame. Everyone watching backed up a pace as they felt the heat, knowing that, with a single thought, the man who created it could send that fire roaring outward to consume them.

Daniel let the fire burn for several seconds, then snuffed it out. His gaze focused upon the broken remains of an immense statue at the far side of the amphitheater. With a brief thought he reduced it to a pile of blasted rubble.

Daniel's eyes went to Har'tec. Seeing that the Jaffa had a second knife in his belt, he yanked it out. It flew into his outstretched hand.

Daniel walked up to Har'tec and held out the knife. After a moment's hesitation, the Jaffa took it.

Daniel met his eyes. "That is the power your people talk about. My mind has the ability to do these things, to create fire, to move things without physical means, to destroy. But there is nothing magical about it. It does not make me a god or even a demigod. I never said that I was anything like that. I am only a man who, through a unique set of circumstances, developed abilities that enable me to do things others can't. I do not seek to rule the Jaffa. I do not seek to rule _anyone_."

If it hadn't been for what happened next, Daniel might have actually managed to get through to Har'tec.

"But your powers _are_ that of a god's!" said one young Jaffa, his eyes glowing with the light of awe. It was only the first such statement. By the time the fervor ended, dozens of Jaffa were shouting the name of Daniel's "alter ego" and thrusting their staff weapons high into the air.

_'Crap,'_ the archeologist muttered silently.

Angered by the Jaffas' display, Har'tec stepped forward, his face hard. "Dan'yar, I challenge you! Joma secu!"

"Okay, this doesn't sound good," Jack said.

"It is not," Bra'tac confirmed. "Har'tec has challenged Daniel Jackson for the right of leadership. It is a fight to the death."


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

"Is he nuts?!" Jack asked. "He just saw what Daniel can do. How could he honestly think that he can win?"

"The challenge must be met in hand-to-hand combat, O'Neill," Teal'c explained. "If Daniel Jackson attacked Har'tec with his psychic abilities, it would demonstrate that he is without honor."

"Why are you doing this?" Daniel asked Har'tec. "I've told you that I'm not seeking leadership of the Jaffa. There's no reason to do this!"

"If you will not accept my challenge, then you are a coward," the Jaffa responded, venom in his voice. "You will prove that all I have said about you is true."

Bra'tac quickly walked up to Daniel, followed by Teal'c, Jack and Sam. "We wish to speak with Dan'yar in private," the Master Jaffa said to Har'tec.

The man nodded, and all of the Jaffa in the area moved far enough away that they wouldn't overhear the conversation.

"You must accept the challenge," Bra'tac told Daniel. "If you do not, all will be lost."

"Bra'tac, I don't want to fight him."

"You must, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c insisted. "If you refuse the challenge, the Jaffa will believe that Har'tec is right, that you are as the Goa'uld, someone who gains their loyalty through false means. They will lose their faith in you. And, because you are of the Tau'ri, they will lose faith in all Tau'ri as well."

"So, what are you saying, that if I don't fight him, the Jaffa will stop being our allies?"

Teal'c nodded.

"Okay, so what's going to happen if I fight him and lose?"

"You must not lose."

"You said that this was a fight to the death," Sam said, getting worried.

"That is the usual outcome," Bra'tac confirmed. "However, the victor can choose to spare the life of the conquered."

"You know, I seriously doubt that guy would be that nice," Jack stated.

"You are correct. Har'tec will kill Daniel Jackson if he wins the fight."

"Okay, then Daniel has to beat him. That's all there is to it." Jack turned to the archeologist. "Just do what you did in that workout you had with me. You'll beat him for sure."

"Jack, the difference between fighting you that way and fighting _him_ that way is that, if he gets a good hold on me, I'm not going to be able to break it. He's too strong."

The colonel looked into his eyes. "There is a way."

Daniel realized what Jack was suggesting. He shook his head. "No. I'm not going to do that. It's too dangerous. When I did that with Osiris, I ended up throwing her twenty feet through the air. I don't know if I can maintain enough control. I could seriously hurt him."

Jack took hold of his friend's arm. "Daniel, it's time that you start trusting yourself. None of us doubt your ability to stay in control. You need to feel the same."

There was a look of fear and desperation in Daniel's eyes. "Jack."

"We have faith in you, Daniel."

"Indeed we do, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c stated with conviction.

"I know you can do it, Daniel," Sam said.

The archeologist looked at all of his teammates, who were gazing at him with expressions of confidence and trust. They believed that he could do it, that he could maintain complete control of his abilities. But he was still afraid. Could he do it? Daniel realized that he had to at least try. The fate of the alliance between Earth and the rebel Jaffa hinged upon the outcome of this fight. If he lost or if he refused to fight, Earth would lose a powerful ally. They'd already lost the support of one ally. They couldn't lose another.

Daniel drew in a deep breath. "All right, I'll do it. There's just one thing, though. This is supposed to be hand-to-hand combat. If I deliberately use my abilities to win, wouldn't that be cheating?"

"Daniel, only you would be worrying about cheating in a situation like this," Jack responded.

"It's a valid concern, Jack. All these Jaffa know that I could break Har'tec in half with my telekinetic abilities. Har'tec knows that, too. This isn't just a fight, it's a test to see if I'll remain true to their belief that I'm an honorable man and not use my abilities to beat him if the fight doesn't go my way. Har'tec knows that, if I use my power, he'll still win since he will have proven what he's been saying about me."

"That may be true, Daniel, but think about this. Har'tec knows that most humans aren't as strong as Jaffa. He knows that, physically, he has a huge advantage over you. Is that fighting fair? The guy probably thinks that he can't lose. If you toss him about with your abilities, he'll prove that you're dishonorable. If you _don't_, he'll win the fight, kill you, and get what he wants that way. So, no, I don't see anything wrong in you using your abilities like that since it's the only way to make this fight closer to being a fair one."

"I do not understand exactly how it is that you would be using your power, but O'Neill is correct," Bra'tac said. "Without that power, you would lack the physical strength to win, and Har'tec knows this." A smile came to his face. "I, for one, have no intention of revealing that you will be . . . cheating."

Jack grinned and patted Bra'tac on the shoulder. "I knew I liked you for some reason, you old coot." He turned to his friend. "Do what you have to, Daniel. This is too important to fail."

Daniel sighed in weary acceptance. "You do realize that, if I end up getting hurt again, Janet is going to lock me up in the infirmary and never let me out."

Jack gave his shoulder a pat. "If it'll make you feel any better, I'll tell her it was my fault."

Daniel stared at him. "You're even braver than I thought you were. I've seen the size of some of those needles she has."

Jack's expression immediately lost its humor.

Daniel turned and walked toward Har'tec, coming to a stop a few paces away. "I accept your challenge," he said.

Within a few seconds, the area around Daniel and Har'tec had been vacated. Har'tec handed his knife to another Jaffa, which told the archeologist that the man intended to fight without weapons, which was a relief.

Drawing in a deep, centering breath, Daniel sought to focus his awareness in the same way that he did when he had the workout with Jack. The knowledge that his life depended on it this time made it more difficult, but, at last, everything else faded into the background as his attention became fixed upon Har'tec with preternatural intensity. The man was looking at him closely, waiting for him to make a move. Daniel adjusted his stance in preparation for defense but did nothing more, content to let the Jaffa make the first move.

The moment Har'tec realized that Daniel was not going to start the fight, he leapt forward, seeking to bring the archeologist down with brute force. It was a move that showed Daniel that Jack was right. The Jaffa _did_ believe he would win through superior strength. Because of that belief, what happened next must have shocked the hell out of Har'tec.

Before he could get a good grip on Daniel, the linguist grabbed Har'tec's wrist and flipped the Jaffa clear over his back. Har'tec landed hard on the ground. He quickly rolled to his feet, eyes narrowed appraisingly. Daniel knew that the man wouldn't make that mistake twice.

The Jaffa came at him again. Daniel's precognitive ability told him what Har'tec was going to do a split second before it happened. Even as the man attempted to sweep Daniel off his feet, the archeologist was already countering with a move of his own, his hand flashing out to connect with Har'tec's breastbone, the heel of his hand hitting with the force of both his natural strength and his telekinetic ability. The blow sent the Jaffa staggering back, his hands going to his chest. For a brief moment, Daniel feared that he'd used too much force, but Har'tec recovered quickly and backed up a pace. He began circling Daniel, who kept a close eye on him, both physical and paranormal senses alert for any aggressive moves.

Daniel knew that, with each failed attempt to overpower him, Har'tec was adjusting his view on the archeologist's strength and fighting ability. This meant that the Jaffa would be using more caution and trying more advanced techniques, which was going to make it harder for Daniel to counter him.

No sooner had that thought entered Daniel's mind when Har'tec attacked again. He came in low this time, and, though Daniel's senses warned him of the intent of the attack, the warning didn't come quite soon enough to counter it, and he found himself on the ground, Har'tec above him, seeking to crush his windpipe. Survival instincts and Daniel's power kicked in at the same time. Just as the grip on his throat became painful, he grabbed hold of both of Har'tec's wrists, pulling the man's hands away from his neck and shoving up at the same time. The move threw the Jaffa completely off-balance, and Daniel took advantage of it by grabbing hold of him and rolling over, pinning Har'tec beneath him. He was not in that position for long, however. Har'tec quickly managed to throw him off.

The two men rose to their feet and stared at each other warily. Daniel's respiration and heart rate were climbing from the physical activity. It wouldn't be too much longer before he'd begin to tire. That was one way that he couldn't match the Jaffa. If the fight went on too long, Har'tec's superior stamina would win out, which meant that Daniel was going to have to end this soon.

The archeologist had no more time for thought as the Jaffa came at him again. He was only partially successful in countering the move, and a painful blow to the ribs reminded him very forcefully that Har'tec could easily break a bone if Daniel failed to block his blows. And if that happened, Daniel would be forced to openly use his abilities to keep Har'tec from killing him.

The time had come to end the fight.

With that decision made, Daniel turned his will upon honing his abilities even further. All of his senses narrowed to a sharp point focused on Har'tec, his mind recalling all the things Jack and Teal'c had taught him over the past six plus years. _'You can do this, Daniel,'_ he told himself.

And, then, Har'tec attacked.

With a skill he had developed during a hundred years of service to the Goa'uld, the Jaffa came at Daniel with the intention of getting the human down on his stomach, where Har'tec would then crush his spine.

Fighting for both his life and the alliance between Earth and the Jaffa, Daniel reacted. Using his precognitive senses, his telekinetic ability and the skills taught to him by Jack and Teal'c in perfect synchronicity, he pulled off a move that sent a shockwave through everyone, including himself. In a matter of seconds, it was not Daniel but Har'tec who found himself down on his stomach, a knee planted in his back and both arms twisted behind him. No matter how hard the Jaffa struggled, the surprising strength of his opponent held him fast. He was shocked by what had just happened. Many times he had used that move before, and it had never failed, yet this human had not only countered it but had completely reversed the outcome so that it was now Har'tec who was lying helpless on the ground.

Looking down at the Jaffa, Daniel knew that he had to end it. Releasing Har'tec would only result in the battle continuing, for joma secu was a fight to the death.

His will hardening, Daniel removed his knee from Har'tec's back, yanked him up, and wrapped an arm tightly about the man's throat.

With Daniel's arm now around his neck, Har'tec's left arm was not being held, and he quickly attempted to strike out with it. But, before he could even get his arm free of their entangled bodies, Daniel shifted his position so that he was sitting on the ground. Using his left leg, he trapped Har'tec's free arm, planting his feet firmly on the ground.

Both arms once again trapped, his neck in a stranglehold, Har'tec fought with all his strength to get free. But, as hard as he tried, he could not break the iron grip of the man he had believed would be too weak to defeat him.

The arm around Har'tec's neck began to tighten, compressing his trachea. As he lost the ability to breathe, the Jaffa fought harder still, his struggles growing frantic. At last, he accepted the truth. There would be no escape. Dan'yar had won.

As blackness began covering Har'tec's vision, he ceased fighting. _'Shal'kek nem'ron,'_ he whispered in his mind.

Unexpectedly, the grip on Har'tec's throat vanished, and he found himself lying on the ground, free. Drawing in deep, gasping breaths, he rolled over onto his back and looked at the man who'd defeated him. Daniel had risen to his feet and was staring down at him.

"I do not wish to kill you," the archeologist said. "As the victor, I have the right to grant mercy. I give your life to you, Har'tec. Use it to fight our common enemy, the Goa'uld."

Daniel held his hand out to the Jaffa. For a brief moment, Har'tec looked up at him searchingly. Then he took the proffered hand. The archeologist helped pull him to his feet.

At that moment, a shout rose from the throats of all the rebel Jaffa. "Dan'yar! Dan'yar! Dan'yar!"

Daniel held up his hands, calling for silence. Stillness fell upon the place.

"By the rules of joma secu, the victor gains the right of leadership, but it's not my place to lead you. Every one of you here is fighting for the freedom of all Jaffa, for a day when you will no longer be servants to any master. That is a day that I'm fighting for as well. It would be wrong for me to make myself a master over you since that is the very thing that you're fighting to be free of. When the day comes that all Jaffa are free, it will be time for you to set up a government, a government of Jaffa leaders. That's the way it should be."

"But will you not lead us into battle against the Goa'uld, Dan'yar?" one Jaffa asked.

"If there ever comes a time when it becomes necessary, I will stand _beside_ you in battle," the archeologist replied. "Don't think of me as your leader or your master. I am a friend and an ally. That's all I want. The one thing that every one of you needs to remember is that your freedom from the Goa'uld is a desire that all of you share, and it is for that reason that you must continue the rebellion and seek to turn other Jaffa from their service to the Goa'uld. Do not make me the reason for your determination. I'm just one man, as mortal as the rest of you. The free Jaffa nation will live forever."

Ka'ter stepped forward. "Listen to him, brothers. His words are wise." He held up his staff weapon. "For freedom!"

"For freedom!" the other Jaffa shouted.

Har'tec stepped forward. "I have misjudged you, Dan'yar, and I wronged you greatly with my false statements against you. I see now that you truly are not like the Goa'uld." He reached out and grasped Daniel's forearm in the Jaffa greeting. "I greet you, Dan'yar, as a friend and an ally . . . and as a brother to all Jaffa who wish for freedom."

"Thank you, Har'tec," Daniel said.

Several Jaffa came forward and greeted the archeologist personally. Among them was Ka'ter, who was smiling with satisfaction.

"Though I had hoped that you would win, I find myself surprised that a human showed such great strength. And I have never seen such skill in fighting. Har'tec is a great fighter, among the best, yet you defeated him easily."

"Trust me, Ka'ter. It definitely wasn't easy." Daniel looked at Jack and Teal'c, who both had insufferably smug expressions on their faces. "But I had the best teachers anyone could hope for. I couldn't have done it without their training and guidance."

Ka'ter smiled and patted his shoulder.

A few minutes later, Daniel managed to make it back to his teammates and Bra'tac. The Master Jaffa was grinning from ear to ear. He laughed and grasped both of Daniel's shoulder.

"And this is the man that I thought weak when first I met him," he said. "You could not have fought better if I had trained you myself."

"Thank you, Bra'tac. That's a great compliment coming from you."

"Wow, Daniel," Sam said, with a proud smile. "That was amazing."

"Amazing? That was a thing of beauty!" Jack exclaimed. "Daniel, from now on, I'm going to turn you loose on the marines when it's time for you to practice your hand-to-hand. It'll be so sweet seeing you take them down a few pegs. Of course, once they find out about this, they'd have to be one fry short of a happy meal to want to tangle with you."

"Jack, the only reason I won is because of you-know-what, and I would never use it intentionally during practice. It wouldn't be fair."

"Not even a little bit?" Jack asked, sounding very disappointed that he wouldn't get to see the archeologist kick a few marine butts.

"You must tell me how it is that you defeated Har'tec," Bra'tac said. "The strength you displayed surprised me greatly, and it was sometimes as if you could read his mind, for you countered his moves even before he made them."

Daniel glanced around. "Um . . . yeah. We'll talk about that later."

The Master Jaffa nodded. "Of course."

SG-1 and Bra'tac remained on the planet for another couple of hours, speaking to the Jaffa and gaining some valuable intel.

Upon arriving back at the SGC, SG-1 headed to the infirmary for their post-mission physicals. Daniel was not looking forward to what would happen when Janet found out that he had just fought a Jaffa in hand-to-hand combat.

"Whatever you guys do, don't tell Janet about the demonstration," he said in the elevator going up. "I don't want her tearing into me about that."

Jack looked at him in amusement. "You just beat a Jaffa who outweighed you by at least forty pounds, and you're afraid of one little five-foot-two-inch woman?"

Daniel looked at Jack, an eyebrow lifting. "And you're not?"

Jack opened his mouth, shut it, then opened it again. "That's not the point."

Daniel shared a glance with Sam, both of them fighting back smiles.

"Well, congratulations, Daniel," Janet said a while later in the infirmary. "I think you just broke your record for number of injuries received within the space of two weeks. I can see where you're going to have some lovely bruises from this latest incident."

"Believe me, Janet. The last thing I expected to have to do when I left here was fight a Jaffa," the linguist told her. "I tried to get out of it, but he wouldn't listen to reason."

"Hey, give him a break, Doc," Jack piped in. "After all, he won. If he hadn't, he'd be dead. A few bruises are a lot better than that."

Janet nodded. "Yes, they are." She turned back to the archeologist. "All right, Daniel. It looks as if you managed to get through this with just a few minor bruises. The use of your telekinetic abilities to win the fight wasn't extreme enough to cause any concern." She looked at him more closely. "That _is_ the only way you used your abilities, isn't it?"

Daniel suddenly knew what it felt like to be a trapped animal. "Ummm. . . ."

Janet's eyes narrowed. "Daniel?" When the archeologist didn't reply, the doctor looked at his teammates. Jack and Sam immediately found the floor to be of intense interest. Looking at Daniel's third team member, Janet's eyes narrowed even more. "Teal'c?"

"It was necessary for Daniel Jackson to demonstrate his power to Har'tec," the Jaffa said.

The doctor's head swung back around to see that Daniel, too, was apparently also finding the floor quite fascinating. "And you weren't going to tell me about this?"

"I hadn't planned to."

"Why?"

Daniel let out a sigh and looked at her. "Because I knew exactly how you'd react. It barely affected me at all, Janet. I'm fine. No harm done."

"Well, I think that you should let me be the judge of that, Daniel. I am your doctor."

The archeologist was surprised to hear a trace of hurt in Janet's voice. He realized that he'd hurt her feelings by not being completely honest with her.

"I'm sorry, Janet," he said, his eyes asking for her forgiveness. "I just didn't want a big deal made out of it. Next time, I'll tell you."

Brown eyes met blue for several seconds, then the doctor nodded, her smile telling Daniel that he had been forgiven. "All right. I won't do a CT scan this time since you do seem to be okay. But you really do need to try to take it easy with using your abilities, Daniel. I still have concerns about the cumulative effects."

"Janet, believe me when I say that I'd be delighted if I never had to use them again for as long as I live. But life just doesn't want to give me a break."

"You can say that again," Jack muttered.

A short while later, SG-1 was in the briefing room with General Hammond and Bra'tac. As the events on Albaren were recounted, Daniel explained to both the Master Jaffa and the SGC commander how he was able to beat Har'tec.

"Then it is true," Bra'tac said. "I had heard that you possessed the ability to see into the future, but I was unsure if it was true or merely some invention of an overzealous young Jaffa."

"No, it's true. I'd have preferred that the Jaffa never found out about it, but, unfortunately, Ka'ter caught me in the act at the Alpha Site."

"Then you _did_ give the warning before the attack actually began."

Daniel nodded. "Not soon enough to get everyone out in time, but at least I gave everybody an extra few minutes to get through the gate. You see, Bra'tac, this ability of mine to see the future isn't all that reliable. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The only thing that I can be sure of is that when I _do_ have a vision of the future, it will come true if something isn't done to stop it."

"And what does this ability tell you is coming now?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that something very big is going to be happening soon."


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Two days later, Daniel was just about at his wit's end. The entire base knew that he'd beaten a Jaffa in hand-to-hand combat, but most of them didn't know the details on how he'd accomplished it. Because of this, his image on base had grown substantially, particularly among the marines, who kept giving him slaps on the back and little congratulatory smiles. It was more than a little disconcerting for the modest archeologist, who really wished that people would stop making a big deal out of everything.

He was presently on his way to a meeting that General Hammond had called. Daniel had no idea what it was about and hoped that some new crisis hadn't arisen.

Daniel caught sight of Sam ahead of him and hurried a little to catch up with her.

"Hey, Sam."

"Hi. So, do you know what this meeting is about?"

"Not a clue. My spidey sense isn't tingling, so maybe it's nothing bad."

Sam stared at him. "'Spidey sense'?"

"Ah, yes. That's Jack's newest name for my ability to sense that something's about to happen."

Sam thought about the comparison. "You do have to admit that it fits, Daniel. It is a lot like Spiderman."

"Oh, pleeeease don't encourage him, Sam," Daniel pleaded. "If I wasn't such a nice guy, I really think that I'd have strangled him by now."

Sam's smile got bigger. "It's only because you _are_ a nice guy that the colonel knows he can get away with it, Daniel."

"Yeah, well, there are all levels of 'nice', and I'm beginning to think that maybe Jack will cool it if he goes to get in his truck some morning and finds that the engine is sitting up in a tree in his backyard."

A startled burst of laughter erupted from Sam. She looked at Daniel with wide eyes. "You wouldn't . . . would you?"

"I'm seriously considering it. As Jack told me, I'm no saint, and I can be pushed just so far. It's largely due to him and his bragging that I've got almost the entire population of marines on base just about worshiping the ground I walk on."

Sam laughed softly. "Poor Daniel," she commiserated.

The archeologist shot her a glare. "Yes, I know you probably think it's funny, too."

Sam tried to curb her smile, but couldn't quite succeed. "Okay, so I admit that I am enjoying the idea that a man who has three PhD's and spent a good part of his life saddled with names like 'geek', 'dweeb' and 'four-eyes' is now an object of worship to an entire base full of tough, testosterone-driven marines."

Daniel stopped walking, which made Sam stop as well. His expression thoughtful, he mulled over that for a few seconds.

"You know, putting it that way, it _is_ kind of funny, isn't it," he said at last, smiling.

The two friends laughed and resumed their walk to the briefing room. Jack and Teal'c were already there when they arrived. Hammond came in a few seconds later.

"Yesterday, the president informed me that he has decided to have a documentary about the Stargate Program filmed," the general told them.

"What?!" three voices exclaimed at the same time. Daniel, Sam and Jack all glanced at each other. It was Sam who continued.

"Sir, has the president chosen to make the program known to the public?"

"No, he has not. This documentary will be filmed in secret and will not be aired unless a day comes that the program does become public knowledge."

"Then what's the purpose of it?" Jack asked.

"As you are all aware, this administration is virtually over. Very soon, a new president will be elected."

"Ah, I get it. The president wants to get this done before he leaves office so that he won't look so bad if the population does find out about the Stargate. He's been keeping an awfully big secret from the American people for close to seven years, _eight_ years, if you count from the day the gate was first reopened and we duked it out with Ra. That's his entire time in office."

"I wouldn't put it exactly that way, Colonel, but that is the gist of it."

"So, we're going to have a film crew here?" Daniel asked.

Hammond gave a nod. "They will arrive on Sunday."

"How much are they going to be told?"

The tension in Daniel's voice made the general suspect that the archeologist was concerned about something, and he was pretty sure he knew what it was.

"Don't worry, Doctor Jackson. The president and I had a talk about this, and we agreed that, for your sake, not to mention your safety, your paranormal abilities will not be revealed to those who film this documentary. All references to those abilities will be deleted from the copies of the reports we give to them."

Daniel visibly relaxed. "Thank you, sir."

"What about everything else?" Jack questioned. "Are they going to have full access to the gate and everything?"

"No, Colonel, they will not," Hammond replied. "I will not have them interfering with the operations of this base or threatening the security of any ongoing missions or the safety of the people here. I have my orders from the president, and I will follow them to the letter . . . but _only_ to the letter."

"Understood, sir."

"Now, the reason why I chose to tell all of you about this first is that you are SG-1, our first SG team, and, as such, this . . ." Hammond glanced down at the papers before him, "Emmett Bregman will no doubt want to interview all of you."

"Oh, joy," Jack grumbled.

Sam thought of something. "Sir--"

She never got the chance to finish her sentence, for, just then, the familiar sight of an Asgard beam lit the room, and Thor appeared.

"Thor, buddy!" Jack exclaimed. "How nice of you to drop in."

"It is good to see you as well, O'Neill," said the little grey alien. "The Asgard received your request for aid in finding a new planet for your Alpha Site. We were saddened to hear of the attack on the old location. We will, of course, give you what information we can on suitable planets."

"Thank you, Thor," General Hammond said. "That will be greatly appreciated."

"I am here regarding another matter as well," Thor told them. "We have recently learned about an individual who is apparently working with the rebel Jaffa against the Goa'uld. It is said that he is also an ally of Earth. What do you know of this Dan'yar?"

Daniel let out a loud groan, dropping his head onto his crossed arm. "Oh, I _really_ don't need this," he mumbled pathetically.

"Is there a problem, Doctor Jackson?" Thor asked, puzzled.

An enormous grin plastered on his face, Jack got up and walked over to Thor, placing his hand on the Asgard's shoulder.

"Thor, old buddy, old pal. Have I got a surprise for you. It is my great, great, _great_ pleasure to introduce you to the mighty, the powerful Dan'yar." He gestured at Daniel with a big flourish.

Jack considered himself lucky that he wasn't instantly turned to ash by the glare that Daniel subjected him to when the archeologist lifted his head. In fact, was it his imagination or did it suddenly get warmer in here?

"I do not understand," Thor said. "Doctor Jackson is Dan'yar?"

"Yep, he sure is," Jack replied, still beaming. "The great Dan'yar is our own unassuming Danny Boy. Ain't that a trip?" Okay, now he was _certain_ it was getting hotter in here.

"But we have heard that this Dan'yar possesses very powerful psychic abilities, beyond what any human has ever demonstrated."

"Oh, don't we know it, Thor," Jack crowed, still ignoring the warning signs. "You should see Daniel here in action. Why, he'd blow your little socks right o--"

"Jack!" Daniel snapped.

The colonel looked at him. "Yes, Daniel?"

"Tell me something. Are you feeling a bit warm right now?" The man's expression gave Daniel his answer. "Would you like to feel even warmer?"

Uh oh. "I should shut up?" Jack asked.

"That might be wise."

"I can do that."

"Good."

Sam was trying with all her might not to laugh, Teal'c had an actual smile on his face, and Hammond appeared more amused than any of them had ever seen. Thor just looked utterly confused.

Daniel turned his attention to the Asgard. "What Jack is trying to say in his own _unique_ way is that, yes, I am Dan'yar, and probably most of what you've heard is true."

"But how is this possible?"

"Well, it turns out that I wasn't returned to human form quite the same as I was before I ascended."

As briefly as possible, the archeologist filled the Asgard in on what had been going on since he discovered his abilities.

"This should not be possible," Thor said. "Your ascension and return to human form could not entirely account for such an extreme evolutionary advancement."

"It couldn't?" Daniel, Sam and Jack all said simultaneously.

"There would have to have been a preexisting genetic anomaly present in order for the transformation to take place."

"But wouldn't you have known about that already?" Jack asked. "You knew that _I_ was advanced."

"We only scanned your DNA, O'Neill, because the knowledge of the Ancients was downloaded into your brain. We would have had no reason to do so otherwise, and such a reason has never occurred for Doctor Jackson."

"You mean that I might be like Jack?" Daniel asked.

"From what you have told me, I believe that you may be much higher up on the evolutionary chain than O'Neill."

"Well, that's not fair," Jack said. "I liked being more advanced."

"With your permission, I would like to scan your DNA, as well as the structure of your brain," Thor said to Daniel.

"Sure."

"Can Carter, Teal'c and I come, too?" Jack asked the Asgard.

"Certainly."

SG-1 got to their feet. A moment later, they were on Thor's ship.

"Please stand there," the Asgard instructed the archeologist, pointing to a particular spot. Daniel did so, and a beam of light illuminated him for a few seconds.

"I am finished with the scan, Doctor Jackson," Thor said.

Daniel came over to where the Asgard was standing in front of a console. His teammates joined him.

"This is extraordinary," Thor said, and no one could mistake his tone as anything but excitement.

"Then he is advanced like me?" Jack asked.

"No, these results are different from what we found in your DNA, O'Neill. We discovered that you possess a very specific genetic anomaly, one that we had never encountered before. Doctor Jackson's scan is showing something entirely different," Thor looked at the archeologist, "and, in one way, it _is_ something that we have seen before."

"What are you saying?" Sam asked.

"Doctor Jackson's genetic makeup is displaying many similarities to that of the Ancients prior to their ascension."

The announcement left everyone staring at him in stunned silence. Daniel suddenly felt like he needed to sit down.

"Daniel's an Ancient?" Sam asked in a hushed voice.

"No," Thor replied. "Physically and genetically, he is not at that level of advancement, but he is much closer to it than I could ever have thought possible."

"Then the Ancients could do all the things I can even before they ascended?" Daniel asked in surprise.

"No, they could not, and that is another way in which you are different from them. The scan of your brain indicates that several areas not normally used by humans have become fully active."

"That's what our doctors discovered," Sam said. "You see, it is believed by some people on Earth that all humans have a potential for psychic abilities, but that we can't normally access those parts of the brain."

Thor's head dipped slightly. "Such a belief is true. Humans do have a latent potential for what you call psychic abilities, but it is largely undeveloped and unusable. In time, as your race evolves, such abilities will become available to you. The Ancients evolved substantially in this regard, which is the reason why they possessed certain abilities."

"Like the power to heal others," Daniel said, having read how the Ancient found frozen in Antarctica healed almost everyone who became ill from the plague.

Thor nodded. "Yes. But, in studying these scans, Doctor Jackson, it is evident that there is a very noticeable increase in the development of the areas of your brain from which such abilities originate, far beyond what you would likely see in any normal human even millions of years from now. What has happened to you is far more than just an evolutionary advancement. It is a physical mutation."

Okay, now Daniel really needed to sit down. Since there were no chairs available, he leaned heavily against the console instead. "So, what are you saying?" he asked, his distress evident in his voice, "that I'm not entirely human anymore?"

"Technically, you are still human, but, in many ways, you are what the human race may be in the distant future if your species learns the secret of successfully manipulating and mutating the development of your brains."

Concerned by the look on Daniel's face, Sam touching his arm. "Daniel? Are you okay?" Sam realized the stupidity of the question as soon as she asked it. Did he look okay?

Daniel lifted his eyes to hers, and a horrifying thought entered his mind. "What about my children, Thor?" he asked, even more upset. "If I ever had kids, would they be like this?"

"Since the woman you mated with would likely be a normal human, your advanced DNA would only be half of the genetic material used in the creation of any children. Therefore, it is very possible that your progeny will not be nearly as advanced. It is even possible that your genetic advancement would be recessive and not be passed on to your offspring."

"And the other thing? The mutation?"

"The mutation to your brain is not at the genetic level, so chances are good that it will not be inherited by your children. However, your ability to tap into the portions of your brain that control psychic abilities is a genetic advancement and, therefore, may be passed, at least in part, onto your offspring."

"So, what are you saying," Jack asked, "that Daniel's kids won't be able to blow up an Al'Kesh or lift a Stargate, but they may be able to bend spoons and light candles with their minds?"

"Yes."

"And, on top of that, they'll be geniuses like him?"

"That I cannot say, O'Neill. Advanced intelligence is not always passed on to human offspring from their parents."

Jack looked at Daniel and Sam. "What if both parents are geniuses?"

"Jack, not another word," Daniel commanded in a tone of voice that left no doubt in Jack's mind that the archeologist would make him pay if he said anything more on that subject.

Unfortunately for Daniel and Sam, Thor didn't get the hint.

"When both parents are intellectually advanced, the chances that their offspring will have superior intelligence is greatly increased but still not certain," he said.

Feeling extremely uncomfortable, Sam cleared her throat, being careful not to look at Daniel. "So, what is all of this going to mean for Daniel?" she asked.

"I am unsure of how your leaders will react to this news," Thor replied, "but, for Doctor Jackson's protection, we will safeguard his genetic code by placing a marker in his DNA, just as we did with O'Neill, which will prevent any kind of genetic manipulation. However, this is something that I would not want to do yet. In studying these readings, I believe it is possible that his DNA is the key to solving our problem with genetic degradation."

"Okay, now that's really unfair," Jack whined. "I'm not advanced enough to help you out with you little cloning problem, but Daniel is?"

Daniel rolled his eyes at Jack's remark. "Okay, so if my genetic code is what you need, what does that mean? Do you need to take some samples of my DNA?"

"DNA samples will not be needed at this time. I will give this data I gathered from the scan to our scientists. If they believe that there is hope, we would be most appreciative if you would allow us to take a sample of your DNA for study."

"Why don't you go ahead and take the sample now? You must have a way of preserving it."

"I did not wish to ask for a sample unless it became necessary."

"Go ahead and take it, Thor," Daniel told him. "I don't mind. And it'll save you a trip to come get it later."

"Thank you, Doctor Jackson. I will take you to the ship's lab now."

Thor and Daniel vanished in a flash of light. They were only gone for a couple of minutes.

"Well, that was fast," Jack said.

"Actually, sir, it doesn't take long to get a DNA sample," Sam responded. "It's really quite easy."

"Ah, so Daniel isn't missing any body parts now?"

"No, Jack, all my body parts are still right where they're supposed to be," Daniel replied.

"Well, that's good to hear, especially in regards to certain body parts. After all, you can't have chil--"

"Jack?" Daniel said in a tone of warning.

The colonel paused. "Shut up?"

The archeologist gave him a closed-mouthed smile that said everything.

Jack almost pouted. "You're just no fun anymore, Daniel. I think I liked you better when I could tease you without fear of retaliation."

Daniel looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "Who says I never retaliated?"

Jack's eyes narrowed. "And what does _that_ mean?"

The corners of Daniel's mouth quirked upward. "Oh, I think you'll figure it out eventually." He turned to Thor. "What about the information on suitable planets for our new Alpha Site?"

"I will download coordinates and any other information you will need into your computers. There are a number of planets that your Prometheus could reach within several days that may be suitable for your purposes."

"Thanks," Sam said.

Jack looked around. "So, Thor. Is this a new ship? It looks new."

"Indeed it is, O'Neill. It is one of our newest and most advanced designs."

"Sweet. Soooo . . . did you by chance name it the O'Neill?" There was a hopeful smile on the colonel's face.

"There was already an Asgard ship named the O'Neill."

"Well, yes, I know that."

"It was destroyed."

"Yes, I know that, too. You and Carter blew it up on its maiden voyage. But there was more than one Enterprise on Star Trek. There was a whole slew of them. I think that the O'Neill II would have a nice ring to it."

"We did not consider naming another ship after you, O'Neill. I will bring this up at the next council meeting."

"Thanks. That would be nice of you."

"So, what _did_ you name this ship?" Sam asked.

Thor looked at Daniel. "The Daniel Jackson."

"Okay, now that's really, _really_ not fa. . . ."

". . . ir." Jack's exclamation was completed in the briefing room, which they had all suddenly found themselves back in.

"Hey, now, that was just plain rude, Thor!" Jack yelled up at the ceiling.

"Why in the world would they name a ship after me?" Daniel asked, utterly perplexed.

"Well, Daniel, you do have a knack for surviving through an awful lot," Sam replied. "Maybe the Asgard figured that, if they named a ship after you, it would inherit that ability and manage to . . ." a tiny smile flitted across her face, "survive longer than the O'Neill did."

"Oh, very funny, Carter," Jack groused. "You should take it on the road." He looked at Daniel. "You know, I'm beginning to think that the Asgard like you better than me now. You're more genetically advanced, your DNA might be just what they need, and they've named their newest ship after you. I think I'm jealous."

"Cheer up, Jack," Daniel responded. "I may have an Asgard ship named after me, but remember that they named one after you first."

A pleased smile lit Jack's feature. "Yeah, you're right. They did." He became serious. "I really didn't mean what I said about them naming a ship after you, you know. I'm glad that the Asgard appreciate all the things you've done for them."

"Thanks, Jack."

By the time SG-1 had finished reporting to Hammond, the information from Thor had come through and was being looked over. There were several good possibilities for the new location of the Alpha Site. It would be up to the crew of the Prometheus to explore each planet and find the best one. Once they chose a location, they would set up the Stargate from the old Alpha Site, along with a DHD taken from someplace that no longer needed it. Once that was completed, crews would go through and begin construction of the new base.

The following day, Daniel went to the infirmary at Janet's request. She led him into her office.

"I read the report on what Thor said about you, Daniel," she told him. "So, how do you feel about that?"

"I'm . . . not really sure," Daniel admitted. "Kind of numb, I guess. A little . . . disconcerted." He saw the doctor's expression. "Okay, more than a little. I've just found out that, not only have I been bumped up the evolutionary tree hundreds of thousands of years, perhaps even _millions_ of years, my brain has also been mutated into something that's no longer fully human. How should I feel?"

"Well, if I were you, I'd be in shock. But, Daniel, Thor was right when he said that you are still human. One of the doctors that I went to medical school with became a geneticist, and one of his fields of research is gene manipulation. He has mutated the genes of hundreds of frogs and other lower life forms, yet, no matter how much he mutates them, those frogs are still frogs. They don't become another form of life. Regardless of how your brain has been physically mutated, you are definitely still human. Even Ayiana, the Ancient we found, was basically human."

"In my mind, I know that you're right, Janet, but it's still upsetting. I keep thinking. . . ."

"What?"

"What if I ever have children? The mutation may not be passed onto them, but the rest of it might be. What kind of life am I dooming my children to? How is it going to be for them if they discover that they inherited Daddy's weird mental abilities?"

"Daniel, if that day comes, I have no doubt that you will help them in whatever way you can to accept their differences, just as you are learning to accept yours. And, speaking as a mother, I don't think that any child could do better than to have you as a father."

Surprised, Daniel stared at her. "Thank you, Janet. That has to be one of the nicest things that anyone has ever said to me."

"Then take it in the spirit it was given."

A nurse knocked on the door and told Janet that someone had just come in with what appeared to be a sprained wrist. The doctor thanked her and rose to her feet, as did Daniel.

"Remember, Daniel. If you ever need to talk to someone about this, I'm right here," she said.

"Thanks, Janet. I appreciate that."

The doctor gave his arm a little squeeze. At the contact, a sudden chill slid down Daniel's spine, causing him to stiffen.

"Daniel? Is something wrong?"

"I . . . don't know." The archeologist looked at the doctor closely. "If it wasn't for my experiences of the past few months, I'd say it was just my imagination, but . . . take extra care, all right?"

Janet frowned. "Daniel, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I have one of those bad feelings again, Janet, and it has something to do with you. So, just be really careful, okay?"

Janet was silent for a long moment. "Okay, Daniel. I'll be careful."

Daniel left the infirmary, the feeling clinging to him that something was going to happen soon, something terrible, something he may not have the power to stop, no matter how hard he tried.

To be continued.

* * *

Okay, that's it for this part. The next one will be coming up soon. Thanks to everyone who gave me reviews.


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